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This is to certify that this is one of an edition 
of five hundred copies printed from type in the 
month of October, 1898. 



i/^W*< 



9f^ 



PRINCETON 
SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

1746-1896 



MEMORIAL BOOK 

OF 

THE SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRA- 
TION OF THE FOUNDING OF THE 
COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY AND OF 
THE CEREMONIES INAUGURATING 

/ 

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 




PUBLISHED FOR 
THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 

NEW YORK 

MDCCCXCVIII 



r^' 



17803 

Copyright, 1898, by 
The Trustees of Princeton University. 




nVO COPIES RECEIVED* 



,62118 OC] 221898 



2nf! COPY, 
1898. 




PREFACE 




?)^^f^(^ HIS book is issued to save in some permanent 
form the record and memories of the Princeton 
Sesquicentennial Celebration. It contains a full 
account of the celebration, written by Professor 
Harper, copies of the letters and telegrams of formal con- 
gratulation, and a historical sketch prepared by Professor 
De Witt. The entire volume has been in the editorial charge 
of Professor West. In the printing and illustration of the 
book we have been greatly helped throughout by the careful 
supervision and good judgment of Mr. Charles Scribner and 
Mr. Arthur H. Scribner, alumni of the university. 

By reason of their rich coloring and ornamentation, many 
of the congratulatory letters could not be reproduced with 
exactness in print. However, the letters have been printed 
in plain black, but with as much general resemblance to 
their originals as types would secure. To give an example 
of their artistic beauty, one of the finest, the letter of the 
University of Bologna, has been reproduced in facsimile on 



a reduced scale. The other illustrations are almost entirely 
views of buildings or scenes connected with the celebration 
and portraits of the twelve Presidents of Princeton. 

The chairman of the Sesquicentennial Celebration, Mr. 
Charles E. Green, died in Princeton on December 23, 1897. 
His sudden and unexpected death, after a life of labor and 
love freely given to Princeton, and his unremitting efforts in 
behalf of the celebration, make the insertion of his portrait 
in this book exceptionally appropriate. 

To all their guests during those fair October days in 
1896, to the many universities and learned societies repre- 
sented by delegates or parchments of congratulation, to 
their very generous benefactors on that occasion, and to all 
the sons and friends of Princeton everywhere, the President, 
Trustees and Faculty of Princeton University dedicate this 
memorial book. 





TABLE OF CONTENTS 



^art jFir0t 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE SESOUICENTENNIAL CELE- 
BRATION. By Professor George Maclean Harper, of 
the Class of 1884. 

PAGE 

General Preparations i 

The Public Le^nreS delivered by Professor Karl Brugmann 
of the University of Leipzig, Professor Edward Dowden of 
the University of Dublin, Professor A. A. W. Hubrecht of 
the University of Utrecht, Professor Felix Klein of the 
University of Gottingen, Professor Andrew Seth of the 
University of Edinburgh and Professor J. J. Thomson of 
the University of Cambridge .17 

[The lectures are not printed in this book, as they have been already 
separately published by Charles Scribner's Sons.] 



The First Day of the Celebration, Tuesday, October 20 . 20 

The ReUgiom Service in Alexander HaU . ■ ^7 , 

The Sermon by President Patton .... 28 

The Reception of Delegates in Alexander HaU . .56 

List of Delegates from Universities and Learned Societies 56 

Remarks of Mr. Charles E. Green, of the Class of i860, 

Chairman of the Sesquicentennial Celebration 64 

Address of Welcome by the Reverend Doctor Howard Duf- 

field, of the Class of 1873 ...... 65 

Reply of President Charles William Eliot, of Harvard Uni- 
versity, in behalf of the American Universities represented yj 

Reply of Professor J. J. Thomson, of the University of Cam- 
bridge, in behalf of the European Universities represented 80 

List of Addresses of Congratulation .... 83 

The Introdu^ion of Delegates in the Chancellor Green Library . 87 

Exhibition of Historical Relics ..... 88 
The Orchestral Concert in Alexander Hall . -91 

The Second Day of the Celebration, Wednesday, October 21 92 

The Poem and Oration in Alexander Hall . . '92 

The Poem recited by the Reverend Doctor Henry van Dyke, 

of the Class of 1873 -93 

The Oration delivered by Professor Woodrow Wilson, of 

the Class of 1879 ....... 102 

The Football Game at the University Athletic Field 131 

The Unveiling of the Memorial Tablet at Nassau HaU 133 

The Torchlight Procession through Princeton and the Review 

at Nassau Hall . • . . 137 



The Third Day of the Celebration, Thursday, October 22 147 

The Sesquicentennial Anniversary Exercises in Alexander HaU 1 48 

Remarks by President Patton . . . . . .150 

Announcement of the Endowments . . . . 153 

Announcement of the University Title . -154 

The Ceremony of Conferring the Honorary Degrees 154 

The Address of His Excellency the Honorable Grover 

Cleveland, President of the United States . . .162 

The Luncheon and Reception to the President and Mrs. 
Cleveland at Prospect 1 70 

The Glee Club Concert in Alexander HaU . . .170 

The Farewell Dinner in the Assembly Hatl . . . 171 

Receptions Following the Celebration . .175 

List of Contributors to the Sesquicentennial Endowment 182 



LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS OF CONGRATULATION 

Arranged alphabetically under the following divisions: 

From Universities, Colleges and Learned Societies . .187 

American' 189 

Canadian 247 

European 253 

Other Countries 303 

From Associations and Individuals .... 307 



^art ClftirD 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 
By the Reverend Professor John De Witt, of the Class of 1861. 



PAGE 



The Beginnings of University Life in America . -317 

The Origin of the College of New Jersey 322 

The Founding of the College. The Two Charters . . 334 

The Opening of the College. The Administrations of Jona- 
than Dickinson, Aaron Burr and Jonathan Edwards . 348 

The Administrations of Samuel Davies and Samuel Finley 367 

The Administration of John Witherspoon . . . 379 

The Administrations of Samuel Stanhope Smith and Ashbel 

Green ......... 391 

The Administrations of James Carnahan and John Maclean 406 

The Administration of James McCosh. The Beginning of 

the Administration of Francis Landey Patton 423 

Historical Note on the Origin of Princeton University by the 

Reverend Professor Shields, of the Class of 1844 . 455 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Arms of Princeton University 
Nassau Hall. Etching by Mercier 
Seal of Princeton University 
Sesquicentennial Memorial Medal 

Designed by Thomas Shields Clarke of the Class of 1882. 

Patriotic Memorial Arch 

Designed by William S. Whitehead of the Class of 1891. 

Alexander Hall — Interior View 

The New Library — Exterior View 

The New Library — The Courtyard 

Charles Ewing Green 

Blair Hall — The Tower ... 

The Chancellor Green Library 

Whig Hall and Clio Hall 

Upper Pyne Dormitory 

Memorial Tablet placed on Nassau Hall 

Lower Pyne Dormitory 

The Torchlight Procession 

Prospect ..... 

David Brown Hall .... 



Cover 

Facing Title-page 
Title-page '" 
'dpiece to Table of Contents ^ 



Facing page 



IV 

28 
40 

64 

72 



104 
120 

Page 133 

Facing page 1 34 

144 

170 

180 



The Houston Medal, made in 1 768, and containing the earliest 

medallic picture of Nassau Hall . Tailpiece to page 185 

Congratulatory Letter of the University of Bologna, 



in facsimile on a reduced scale 



Academic Memorial Arch 

Designed by Howard Crosby Butler of the Class of li 



Facing page 1 8 7 



Facsimile of Congratulatory Letter of the University 

of Tokio ....... Facing page 306 

Aula Nassovica, 1760 — The earliest picture of Nas- 
sau Hall . . . . . .316 

Portraits of the Twelve Presidents of Princeton 

The first eleven are reproduced from the paintings in Nassau Hall. The portrait of 
President Patton is from a photograph 

Jonathan Dickinson ..... Facingpage 348 

Aaron Burr ...... 354. 

Jonathan Edwards ...... 366 ' 

Samuel Davies . . . . . . 370' 

Samuel Finley . . . . 376" 

John Witherspoon ..... 382V 

Samuel Stanhope Smith ..... 394' 

Ashbel Green ...... 402 

James Carnahan ...... 408 • 

John Maclean ...... 418" 

James McCosh ...... 424 

Francis Landey Patton .... 448 ' 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE 
SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



ODIODD 





GENERAL PREPARATIONS 

pT is not generous, so much as it is just, to cele- 
brate the pious memory of founders. They 
are the fathers of institutional life. They have 
given us great and goodly cities which we 
builded not, and houses full of all good things which we 
filled not, and wells digged which we digged not, vineyards 
and olive-trees which we planted not. Far more than in 
lands where the state is directly concerned with higher edu- 
cation, the colleges of America, like many in the mother- 
country, owe their existence to the wise forethought and 
devoted liberality of private individuals, who of their own 
free will, and pursuing no selfish ends, labored for the 
future. There is thus peculiar fitness in acknowledging 
frequently, and with all due dignity and splendor, our ever- 
increasing debt. 

It was natural that such thoughts should come to the 
minds of the trustees and faculty of the College of New 
Jersey, at the approach of the year 1896. There were few 
colleges which owed so much to the efforts of early bene- 
factors, or had clung so fondly and so long to the ideals of 
their original conception. The College of New Jersey had 



2 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

gained much and suffered somewhat by a proud and stub- 
born loyalty to herself and by reverence for her makers. 
She had been often charged with excessive respect for the 
old ways, and had borne the accusation unashamed, though 
not unmoved. And she had always changed in due time, 
if change was best, but never dishonoring her past. It was 
felt that now she might, without loss of modesty, and indeed 
by way of bounden duty, commemorate her founders and 
their noble aims, her sons and their achievements ; that she 
might emphasize and avow those of her long-cherished 
ideals which had worthily survived ; that she might honor 
herself by entertaining distinguished guests. 

But there was also in the minds of trustees and faculty the 
thought that they too, in a sense, should be founders ; that 
this anniversary would give occasion for throwing off old 
disabilities and acquiring new power; that the time had 
come for a great liberalizing of purpose and a great ex- 
pansion of activity. To this end, they conceived that the 
celebration which they already saw as a possibility should 
be not only retrospective and, so to speak, domestic, but 
stimulating and broadly comprehensive. It should also be, 
they thought, an earnest of future improvement. It should 
inaugurate not only an era of better opportunity along many 
and diverse lines of culture, but a revival of learning and 
high discipline, a more serious and reasoned application of 
our own well-tried methods in the pursuit of old and honored 
ends. The movement, it was hoped, would have depth 
and intensity, together with whatever extension should be 
within our means. 

These ideas began to take definite shape in the spring of 
1894, when the faculty appointed a committee to ascertain 
the precise date of the founding of the College of New 
Jersey. On the report of this committee, the faculty de- 
termined the date to be the twenty-second of October, 1746, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION S 

the day when the first charter was signed. In November, 
1894, the board of trustees resolved that there should be a 
sesquicentennial celebration, and fixed upon October the 
twenty-second, 1896, as the anniversary day, in accordance 
with the view of the faculty. The trustees, at this meet- 
ing, further resolved to endeavor to collect a memorial en- 
dowment fund, and to consider the question of a change of 
title from "The College of New Jersey" to "Princeton 
University." To carry these three purposes into effect, 
three committees were appointed — one on the proposed 
change of title, another on endowment, and a third on the 
sesquicentennial celebration. These committees were con- 
stituted as follows : 



I. Committee on Change of Corporate Title : 

Charles E. Green, LL.D., Chairman, Trenton, New Jersey. 

President Patton, Princeton. 

Thomas N. McCarter, LL.D., Newark, New Jersey. 

Henry M. Alexander, LL.D., New York City. 

Hon. Edward T. Green, LL.D., Trenton, New Jersey. 



IL Committee on Endowment: 

Tr?isfees. 

James W. Alexander, A.M., Chairman, New York City. 

Hon. John A. Stewart, New York City. 

Charles E. Green, LL.D., Trenton, New Jersey. 

Rev. J. Addison Henry, D.D., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

M. Taylor Pyne, LL.B., A.M., Princeton. 

Cyrus H. McCormick, A.M., Chicago, Illinois. 

John J. McCook, LL.D., New York City. 

J. Bayard Henry, A.M., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 



4 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Faculty. 
The President of the College. 
The Dean of the Faculty. 
Professor John T. Duffield. 
Professor William M. Sloane. 
Professor Andrew F. West, Secretary. 

Alumni. 

William B. Hornblower, LL.D., New York City. 

Adrian H. Joline, A.M., New York City. 

Charles Scribner, A.M., New York City. 

C. C. Cuyler, A.M., New York City. 

S. B. Huey, A.M., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

John D. Davis, A.M., St. Louis, Missouri. 

James Laughlin, Jr., A.M., Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 

W. W. Lawrence, A.M., Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

James W. Alexander, A.M., Chairman. 

President Patton. 

Charles E. Green, LL.D. 

M. Taylor Pyne, LL.B., A.M. 

Cyrus H. McCormick, A.M. 

John J. McCook, LL.D. 

Professor William M. Sloane. 

Professor Andrew F. West, Secretary. 

in. Committee on the Sesquicentennial 
Celebration: 

Trustees. 

Charles E. Green, LL.D., '60, Chairman, Trenton, New Jersey. 

President Patton. 

Rev. Dr. E. R. Craven, '42, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Hon. John A. Stewart, New York City. 

Rev. Dr. William Henry Green, Princeton, New Jersey. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Hon. Thomas N. McCarter, LL.D., '42, Newark, New Jersey. 

Rev. S. Bayard Dod, A. M., '57, East Orange, New Jersey. 

M. Taylor Pyne, LL.B., A.M., '-j^, Princeton. 

James W. Alexander, A.M., '60, New York City. 

Rev. Dr. George B. Stewart, '76, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Cyrus H. McCormick, A.M., '79, Chicago, Illinois. 

John J. McCook, LL.D., New York City. 

J. Bayard Henry, A.M., '76, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 



Mr. Edwin C. Osborn, Princeton, New Jersey. 

Facility. 
The Dean of the Faculty. 
Professor Henry C. Cameron, '47. 
Professor Charles W. Shields, '44. 
Professor William A. Packard, 
Professor Cyrus F. Brackett. 
Professor Charles A. Young. 
Professor William M. Sloane. 
Professor William Libbey, ""j^. 
Professor W. B. Scott, '']']. 
Professor Allan Marquand, '74. 
Professor Andrew F. West, '74, Secretary. 
Professor Woodrow Wilson, '79. 
Professor W. F. Magie, '79. 
Professor H. D. Thompson, '85. 

Alumni. 

Mr. A. P. Whitehead, '50, New York City. 

Hon. John L. Cadwalader, '56, New York City. 

Hon. W. L. Dayton, '58, Trenton, New Jersey. 

General W. S. Stryker, '58, Trenton, New Jersey. 

Mr. R. M. Cadwalader, '60, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. J. Dundas Lippincott, '61, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Hon. John R. Emery, '61, Newark, New Jersey. 

Hon. Joseph Cross, '65, Elizabeth, New Jersey. 

Hon. J. K. McCammon, '65, Washington, D. C. 



6 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Hon. R. Wayne Parker, '67, Newark, New Jersey. 

Mr. William Scott, '68, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Elmer Ewing Green, '70, Trenton, New Jersey. 

Mr. James M. Johnston, '70, Washington, D. C. 

Hon. Bayard Stockton, '72, Princeton. 

Rev. Dr. Henry van Dyke, '']'^, New York City. 

Rev. Dr. Howard Duffield, '']2„ New York City. 

Rev. Dr. S. J. McPherson, '74, Chicago, Illinois. 

Dr. M. Allen Starr, '76, New York City. 

Mr. George A. Armour, '"]"], Princeton. 

Mr. C. C. Cuyler, '79, New York City. 

Mr. Cleveland H. Dodge, '79, New York City. 

Mr. Rudolph E. Schirmer, '80, New York City. 

Hon. D. M. Massie, '80, Chillicothe, Ohio. 

Rev. James D. Paxton, '80, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Pennington Whitehead, '81, New York City. 

Mr. Philip N. Jackson, '81, Newark, New Jersey. 

Mr. Thomas Shields Clarke, '82, New York City. 

Mr. Lawrason Riggs, '83, Baltimore, Maryland. 

Mr. Thomas B. Wanamaker, '83, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Junius S. Morgan, '88, New York City. 

Mr. T. H. Powers Sailer, '89, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Henry M. Alexander, Jr., '90, New York City. 

Mr. C. Ledyard Blair, '90, New York City. 

Mr. Henry W. Green, '91, Trenton, New Jersey. 

Mr. Irving Brokaw, '93, New York City. 

Mr. John W. Garrett, '95, Baltimore, Maryland. 

Mr. Albert G. Milbank, '96, New York City. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

Mr. Charles E. Green, Chairman. 

President Patton. 

Dean Murray. 

Mr. James W. Alexander. 

Mr. M. Taylor Pyne. 

Mr. John J. McCook. 

Mr. J. Bayard Henry. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTE:NNIAL CELEBRATION 

Professor C. A. Young. 

Professor W, M. Sloane. 

Mr. C. C. Cuyler. 

Mr. Richard M. Cadwalader. 

Hon. R. Wayne Parker. 

Professor Andrew F. West, Secretary. 

THE SUB-COMMITTEES. 

The Chairman and Secretary were members ex officio 
of all sub-committees. 

On Programme. 
Rev. Dr. E. R. Craven, Chairman. 
Rev. Dr. George B. Stewart. 
Mr. John J. McCook. 
Rev. Dr. Howard Duffield. 
Rev. Dr. Henry van Dyke. 
Hon. Joseph Cross. 
Mr. Elmer E. Green. 
Professor W. B. Scott. 
Professor Allan Marquand. 
Professor H. D. Thompson. 

On Invitations. 
Professor W. A. Packard, Chairman. 
President Patton. 
Professor C. W. Shields. 
Professor William Libbey. 
Mr. Elmer E. Green, 

On Publication. 
Dean Murray, Chairman. 
Rev. S. Bayard Dod. 
Professor H. C. Cameron. 
Professor W. M. Sloane. 
Professor Woodrow Wilson. 
General W. S. Stryker. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Mr. James M. Johnston. 
Mr. George A. Armour. 
Mr. Junius S. Morgan. 

On Honorary Degrees. 
President Patton, Chairman. 
Rev. Dr. WilHam Henry Green. 
Hon. T. N. McCarter. 
Dean Murray. 
Professor C. A. Young. 
Professor C. F. Brackett. 
Professor W. M. Sloane. 
Professor W. B. Scott. 
Professor Woodrow Wilson. 
Hon. John L. Cadwalader. 
Dr. M. Allen Starr. 
Hon. John R. Emery. 
Mr. A. P. Whitehead. 
Hon. W. L. Dayton. 

On Reception and Entertainment. 

Mr. James W. Alexander, Chairman. 

Professor William Libbe3^ Secretary. 

Mr. M. Taylor Pyne. 

Mr. J. Bayard Henry. 

Professor H. C. Cameron. 

Professor Allan Marquand. 

Professor W. F. Magie. 

Professor H. D. Thompson. 

General W. S. Stryker. 

Hon. W. L. Dayton. 

Mr. R. M. Cadwalader. 

Mr. George A. Armour. 

Hon. Bayard Stockton. 

Mr. Cleveland H. Dodge. 

Mr. C. C. Cuyler. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 9 

Mr. H. M. Alexander, Jr. 
Mr. Henry W. Green. 
Mr. E. C. Osborn. 

On Student and Alumni Participation. 

Mr. M. Taylor Pyne, Chairman. 

Professor H. D. Thompson, Secretary. 

Mr. J. Bayard Henry. 

Professor William Libbey. 

Professor W. F. Magie. 

Hon. J. K. McCammon. 

Mr. William Scott. 

Mr. James M. Johnston. 

Hon. Bayard Stockton. 

Rev. Dr. Howard Duffield. 

Mr. C. C. Cuyler. 

Mr. Cleveland H. Dodge. 

Hon. D. M. Massie. 

Mr. Rudolph E. Schirmer. 

Mr. Pennington Whitehead. 

Mr. Philip N. Jackson. 

Mr. Thomas Shields Clarke. 

Mr. Lawrason Riggs. 

Mr. Thomas B. Wanamaker. 

Mr. Junius S. Morgan. 

Mr. T. H. Powers Sailer. 

Mr. C. Ledyard Blair. 

Mr. Henry M. Alexander, Jr. 

Mr. Henry W. Green. 

Mr. Irving Brokaw. 

Mr. John W. Garrett. 

Mr. Albert G. Milbank. 

The College of New Jersey never having been vitally 
connected with the State of New Jersey or dependent upon 
it, and the name, moreover, being misleading for the reason 
that since the removal of the institution to Princeton in 1756 



10 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

it had been popularly known as Princeton College, there 
had long been a desire among its graduates that the name 
should be changed. Not only was the institution in no strict 
sense the College of New Jersey, but it had ceased to be 
merely a college. Indeed, it had been one of Princeton's dis- 
tinctions that while many colleges and pretentious schools 
gave themselves the sounding title of university, she, with 
real university equipment and real university work to show, 
had long been content with the modest name of college. 
But the time had come when it seemed to all her friends 
that she should assume a designation which henceforth, 
more even than before, she was to merit. The Committee 
on Change of Corporate Title therefore reported favorably, 
and acting in accordance with the laws of the State, drew 
up the following certificate, which, on the thirteenth of 
February, 1896, was signed by the trustees whose names 
are appended, sworn to and subscribed by the clerk of the 
board of trustees before a notary public, and deposited in 
the office of the clerk of the county on the twenty-seventh of 
May, 1896. On the anniversary day, one hundred and fifty 
years after the granting of the first charter to the College of 
New Jersey, this document was filed with the Secretary of 
State of New Jersey, as shown below. 

CERTIFICATE OF 
CHANGE OF CORPORATE NAME. 

The Trustees of the College of New Jersey, a College Corpora- 
tion, being an institution of learning organized under and by virtue 
of Letters Patent of his Majesty George the Second, King of Great 
Britain, France and Ireland, granted and issued by Jonathan Bel- 
cher, esquire, Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of 
New Jersey, September 14th, 1748, and established by Acts of the 
Legislature of New Jersey, now in force in this State, doth hereby cer- 
tify that at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of said corpo- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 11 

ration called (among other things) for the purpose of changing the 
corporate name of said College or institution of learning, the said Board 
of Trustees by a tv,ro thirds vote of the members present at said meet- 
ing resolved to change the name of said corporation to The Trus- 
tees of Princeton University ; and to that end the said corporation 
doth certify and set forth : 

I. That the name of said corporation in use immediately preced- 
ing the said vote and the making and filing of this certificate was 
"The Trustees of the College of New Jersey." 

II. The new name assumed to designate said corporation and to 
be used in its business and dealings in the place and stead of that 
mentioned in the last preceding paragraph is " The Trustees of 
Princeton University." 

In Witness Whereof the said The Trustees of the 
College of New Jersey hath caused the official 
seal of said Board of Trustees, being also the 
common seal of said corporation, to be here- 
unto affixed; and the undersigned, being a ma- 
jority of said Board of Trustees, have hereunto 
set their signatures; all, this thirteenth day of 
February, in the year of our Lord one thou- 
sand eight hundred and ninety-six. 



[Seal] 



Francis L. Patton, President, M. Taylor Pyne, 

E. R. Craven, James W. Alexander, 

Henry M. Alexander, F. B. Hodge, 

William M. Paxton, D. R. Frazer, 

John A. Stewart, John K. Cowen, 

John Hall, George B. Stewart, 

W. Henry Green, Cyrus H. McCormick, 

Charles E. Green, M. W. Jacobus, 

Thomas N. McCarter, W. J. Magie, 

S. Bayard Dod, Edw. F. Green, 

J. Addison Henry, John J. McCook, 
John Dixon. 



12 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

State of New Jersey, ) 

•^ ' ^ ss : 

County of Mercer. ) 

Elijah R. Craven, Secretary (otherwise known and designated as 
Clerk) of "The Trustees of the College of New Jersey," being duly 
sworn, on his oath says that the foregoing certificate is made by au- 
thority of the Board of Trustees of said corporation as expressed by 
a two thirds vote of the members present at a regular meeting of 
said Board called (among other things) for that purpose. 

E. R. Craven. 
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 

13th day of February, A. D. 1896. 

E. C. OSBORN, 

[Seal.] Notary Public. 

Endorsed. " Received in the office of the Clerk of the County 
of Mercer, N. J., on the 27th day of May, A. D. 1896, and recorded 
in Book C of Corporations for said County, page 369. 

" B. Gummere, Jr., Clerk." 

"Filed, October 22nd, 1896. 

"Henry C. Kelsey, Secretary of State." 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY. 

Department of State. 
I, Alexander H. Rickey, Assistant Secretary of State of the State 
of New Jersey, do hereby Certify that the foregoing is a true copy 
of the Certificate of Change of Corporate Name of "The Trustees of 
the College of New Jersey," to "The Trustees of Princeton Univer- 
sity," and the endorsements thereon, as the same is taken from and 
compared with the original, filed in the office of the Secretary of 
State on the Twenty-second day of October, A. D., 1896, and now 
remaining on file therein. 

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand 
and affixed my Official Seal at Trenton, this 
[Seal] Fourth day of December A. D. 1896. 

A. H. Rickey, 

Assistant Secretary of State. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 13 

In the winter and spring of 1896, President Patton and 
Professor West attended the annual meetings of the vari- 
ous Princeton alumni associations scattered throughout the 
country, speaking in behalf of the new movement, inviting 
an active participation in the festivities, both by attending 
the celebration and by contributing to the memorial en- 
dowment. Traveling together for the most part, they visi- 
ted the associations and groups of alumni in New York, 
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Newark, Scranton, 
Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Louisville, Chi- 
cago, Saint Louis, Saint Paul, and Minneapolis. At every 
point there was deep interest in the projected celebration, 
and a hearty readiness on the part of the alumni to lend 
their help. Never before had the alumni associations 
turned out in such force at their annual meetings as during 
this winter and spring. In the addresses delivered. Presi- 
dent Patton usually spoke of Princeton's history and aims, 
and Professor West outlined the proposed celebration and 
indicated how the alumni might cooperate in making it 
successful. 

The Committee on Endowment opened an office in Uni- 
versity Hall, which Professor West and several assistants 
made the centre of a canvass to secure endowment from the 
graduates and friends of the college. The task was ren- 
dered difficult by the depressed state of business through- 
out the country, and by the excitement and uncertainty of 
an approaching presidential election ; and many, indeed, 
were the predictions of failure or of only partial success. 
In general, however, it may be said that to any but a 
naturally pessimistic mind a fair measure of success was 
indubitable from the outset. For never, perhaps, in the 
history of an American college was so large and compact a 
body of men more determined to do something for educa- 
tion and the home that had nourished their youth than the 



14 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Princeton authorities and alumni. There had in past years 
been many agencies at work to promote the interests of the 
college ; but these undertakings were as diverse as they 
were numerous. Now every effort was being made to ac- 
complish one thing, and all under one acknowledged man- 
agement. 

To facilitate the work of reaching the alumni and reviv- 
ing their interest, a new edition of the General Catalogue 
was prepared, under the direction of Professor Libbey. 
This was the first one ever issued by the college in Eng- 
lish, the old Triennial Catalogues having all been couched 
in the Latin peculiar to such publications. A Directory of 
Living Graduates was also printed, and statistical tables of 
the Princeton men in the various professions and in other 
walks of life were sent to the alumni, together with other 
pamphlets showing the growth and good work of the 
college, and setting forth its great need of increased en- 
dowments. 

A large sum of money was needed to provide for that 
deepening and broadening of the opportunities for study 
and research which should accompany the change of title 
from college to university. It was not thought, however, 
that the meaning of a university lay in the presence of the 
four faculties of arts and sciences, theology, law, and medi- 
cine, but rather that the essential requirements would be 
satisfied in an institution where a large number of higher 
studies, based upon a sound preliminary training, could be 
carried on to the fullest extent, in an atmosphere at once 
liberal, inspiring, and strongly social. It was felt that the 
pursuit of pure learning and culture was more certainly 
the office of a university than even the preparation for the 
exercise of learned professions. The traditions of Prince- 
ton were in keeping with this view. Although the terms of 
the old charter were so generous that no change of even a 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 15 

word was needed to enable the college to assume legally all 
desired university powers, still it was felt that the true fu- 
ture of Princeton would depend upon improvement and ex- 
pansion along the lines of its history, rather than upon any 
attempt to apply some scheme of ideal reconstruction. Then 
the considerations of location had weight. Princeton is the 
only place in America where so large and old a college is to 
be found in a village. This rural environment, although 
less friendly to the ordinary professional and technical train- 
ing than to the sheltered quiet of academic life, was thought 
to be admirably suited for the development of a university 
devoted to pure learning and to the liberal aspects of those 
studies which underlie and help to liberalize professional 
and technical education. Accordingly, the chief desire of 
the endowment committee was to augment the library; to 
provide better laboratory facilities ; to create new depart- 
ments and strengthen the old ; to establish professorships, 
fellowships, and graduate scholarships ; to diminish under- 
graduate expenses ; and to build dormitories for the foster- 
ing of a manly, scholarly, social life. A special feature of 
the work was the contribution by classes, the favorite ob- 
ject of class collections being the foundation of fellowships. 
Many of the committee's purposes were destined to be 
splendidly accomplished. They kept their affairs secret, 
however, and the amount and nature of the gifts were not 
made known until the final day of the celebration. 

The preliminary labors of the Committee on the Sesqui- 
centennial Celebration were long and arduous. When their 
general plans had been outlined, and the details partly elabo- 
rated, they issued an invitation to various universities and 
learned societies, at home and abroad. This invitation was 
in Latin, and printed on parchment. As an example, a re- 
duced copy of the one sent to the ancient University of Bo- 
logna is here subjoined. 



Jotaeded Gutato'ced Jo^ofeddoted 

(ooUecjit ibeocaedaziendld 

Ytzld Qj iiudttlddlinu ^octiddltnld 

cJijecto'ct (ylba^nlflco et (^eaatiit a^cadeniico 

ytiiuezditatid cyTuagtdttotutn cJSonontae homnio'catittum 

^aluteni in domino. 



/am elabente anno centedimo quinquagcdimo, utzt dludtziddtmt et doctld- 
dimi, ex quo fundatoted (oollegii '^loeocaedariendid tkedautum dcientiae in 
aazo dckoladtico pie quaetented nodttam uniuezdttatem et condtdezunt et 
eadetn qua kodie gaudemud docendi didcendique Libettate donauezunt 
nobid placuii nee kuiud beneficii immemoztbud nee eozum uizozum qui pez annod 
pzaetezitod alii donid dandid alii colendid dtuditd nodtzuni dtudiutn genezale fizma- 
uetunt immo etiam 2)iutnam tllam pzouidentiam quae kucudque nobid edt auxiliata 
pzaeclpue zecognodcentibud daeculated instttueze feztaa tztduum celebzandad eaddemque 
die anntuetdazto centedimo quinquagedtmo ad dutnmum uentutad koc edt die uicedimo 
decundo mendid 0ctobzid anno iam iam ineunte, 

oJdcizco nod 'Sazaeded (outatozed ^zofeddozed (Sollegu iloeocaedaziendid multa et 
azta uincula quae nodtzam. cum aliid uniuezditatibud colligant xecozdanted pzecamut 
ut unum, aliquem ex uedtzo ozdine academico deltgatid uicazium qui kodpitio udud 
nodtto nobidcum eo tem.poze laetetuz ubi quod antea fuezit (Bollegium iBeocaedaziende 




Vniuezdltad J^zlncetonu 



lendid 

tunc zite facta inauguxabituz dolemnitez et noutd utzibud, die entm dpezamud, in dae- 
culum inqzedietuz nouum. 



SDaturh. St>%incetoniae ^ ^ 

Inm-la %a..oulca f ^^^^ \ g^^,^,[,,^, £andey Walton, 

die pttmo danuatu \ J ra 

S4.<^.MDCCcxcyi. ^—^ Mzaedcd. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 17 

But the full extent of this committee's work can be real- 
ized only by a consideration of the three festival days to which 
they led, together with the preliminary fortnight in October, 
1896. It was chilling to think what havoc in their plans a 
few days of rain might cause, and no Princeton man cared 
to dwell upon the dire possibility. All that men could do, 
however, was done to avert disaster of this sort, and there 
was assurance in the knowledge that only three times in the 
last twenty years had the 20th, 21st, and 22d of October 
been aught but serenely magnificent at Princeton. 



The Public Lectures. 

The first treat provided by the committee consisted of a 
number of free public lectures by distinguished scholars from 
other countries. They were given from October 12th to 
19th inclusive, and attracted a large number of alumni and 
teachers and professors, besides affording our own faculty 
and students an unusual opportunity for hearing six men 
notable in their particular lines of work. These courses were 
an event in the intellectual life of Princeton, and occasioned 
a lively interest throughout the country. Moreover, it was 
a very great pleasure to have these distinguished gentlemen 
intimately connected with the social and intellectual life of 
Princeton, even for the all too brief period of a fortnight, and 
their presence contributed not a little to the seriousness and 
usefulness of our academic festival. The ordinary academic 
exercises were not, of course, suspended during this time, 
but the lectures on topics of more general interest, such as 
Professor Dowden's and Professor Seth's, were so conve- 
niently scheduled that students and members of the faculty 
could hear them. The programme of lectures was as follows : 



18 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Four lectures by Joseph John Thomson, Cavendish Professor of 
Physics in the University of Cambridge, England. Subject: The 
Discharge of Electricity in Gases. These lectures were delivered 
in the Physical Lecture-room of the School of Science. 

First lecture: nine o'clock Tuesday morning, October 13th. 

Second lecture : nine o'clock Wednesday morning, October 14th. 

Third lecture : nine o'clock Thursday morning, October 1 5th. 

Fourth lecture: nine o'clock Friday morning, October i6th. 

11, 

Four lectures by Felix Klein, Professor of Mathematics in the 
University of Gottingen, Germany. Subject: The Mathematical 
Theory of the Top. These colloquia were held in the Physical 
Lecture-room of the School of Science. 

First lecture: eleven o'clock Monday morning, October 12th. 

Second lecture: eleven o'clock Tuesday morning, October 13th. 

Third lecture: eleven o'clock Wednesday morning, October 14th. 

Fourth lecture: eleven o'clock Thursday morning, October 15th. 

III. 

Six lectures by Edward Dowden, Professor of English Liter- 
ature and Rhetoric in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Subject : 
The French Revolution and English Literature. These lectures 
were delivered in Alexander Hall. 

First lecture: three o'clock Monday afternoon, October 12th. 
The Revolutionary Spirit before the Revolution. 

Second lecture: three o'clock Tuesday afternoon, October 13th. 
Theorists of the Revolution : William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. 

Third lecture: three o'clock Wednesday afternoon, October 14th. 
Anti-revolution : Edmund Burke. 

Fourth lecture: three o'clock Thursday afternoon, October 15th. 
Early Revolutionary group and antagonists : Southey : Coleridge : 
the Anti-Jacobin, 

Fifth lecture: three o'clock Friday afternoon, October i6th. 
Recovery and Reaction : Wordsworth. 

Sixth lecture : three o'clock Saturday afternoon, October 1 7th. 
Renewed Revolutionary Advance : Byron : Moore : Shelley. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 19 



Two lectures by Andrew Seth, Professor of Logic and Meta- 
physics in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Subject: Theism. 
The lectures were delivered in Alexander Hall at eleven o'clock 
Friday morning, October i6th and Saturday morning, October 17th. 



One lecture by Karl Brugmann, Professor of Indogermanic Philol- 
ogy in the University of Leipzig, Germany. Subject: The Na- 
ture and Origin of the Noun Genders in the Indogermanic Lan- 
guages (Ueber Wesen und Ursprung der Geschlechtsunterscheidung 
bei den Nomina der indogermanischen Sprachen). This lecture was 
delivered in German in the English Room, Dickinson Hall, at half- 
past ten o'clock Monday morning, October 19th. 



One lecture by A. A. W. Hubrecht, Professor of Zoology in the 
University of Utrecht, Holland. Subject: The Descent of the Pri- 
mates. This lecture was delivered in the Geological Lecture-room 
in Nassau Hall at twelve o'clock noon, Monday, October 19th. 

All the lectures were well attended. Representative men 
of science and letters, with students of philosophy and phi- 
lology, flocked to hear them. The American Mathematical 
Society held a special meeting in Princeton in honor of Pro- 
fessors Thomson and Klein. Less formal gatherings were 
also held in honor of the other lecturers. It was a delightful 
intellectual week, full of pleasant incidents of a personal na- 
ture. Such were the sympathetic demonstrations of appreci- 
ation made by the auditors from time to time. Such were 
the short addresses made to the lecturers at the close, and 
their felicitous responses thereto. One of these, of peculiar 
local interest, was the preliminary remarks of Professor Seth 
on the many bonds that connect the history of Princeton with 
the University of Edinburgh, and his fine tribute to Presi- 
dent McCosh. 



20 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

It was with great regret that the end of these courses was 
seen approaching. Their educational influence was unques- 
tionable, and the spectacle they afforded gave some hint of 
the character of the celebration proper. 

The First Day. 

Showers on the i8th and 19th had freshened the grass 
and laid the dust, and when the next morning dawned every 
Princetonian was sure the sun shone upon no cleaner, fairer, 
and more radiant town in all the world. The citizens of 
Princeton, both collectively through the borough govern- 
ment and as individuals, had done their utmost to beautify 
the streets and decorate the houses. The national banner 
and the Princeton colors were flying from flag-poles and cor- 
nices. The horses in the streets wore orange ribbons in 
their manes. The village shop-windows were abloom with 
bright colors. In the gardens the beds of early chrysan- 
themums were coming into flower. Two white triumphal 
arches had been erected on old Nassau street. One stood 
at the intersection of Stockton and Nassau. In form it was 
a copy of the Arch of Trajan. It was national in character, 
being fully decorated with American flags and native laurel. 
This arch was given by the town of Princeton. On its 
western front was inscribed 

FROM THE TOWN TO THE UNIVERSITY 

and on the eastern front appeared the motto 

DOMINE FAG SALVAM REMPVBLICAM. 

The second arch was placed in front of the Dean's House. 
Its proportions were modelled after the Washington Arch 
in New York. It was decorated with the orange and black 
banners of Princeton, and bore on its two faces the mottoes 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 21 

embodying a farewell to the old and a greeting to the new. 
The mottoes were 

AVE VALE COLLEGIVM NEOCAESARIENSE 
and 

AVE SALVE VNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS. 

Inside the college fence spread the broad green acres 
which are Princeton's pride, their gentle elms and tall 
columnar tulip-trees all ablaze in soft but brilliant yellow 
and orange, the maples burning here and there a scarlet 
flame, and the Virginia creepers clothing old walls with fes- 
tive purple. The centre for all eyes, like the chief figure in 
a drama, was the long, massive, and yet graceful pile of Nas- 
sau Hall, shining dark in changeless ivy amid the brief 
glow of autumnal splendor. The students had decorated 
their chamber windows and the walls of their dormitories 
with orange and black banners and broad bands of bright 
cloth. It was a general remark that Nature herself had 
donned Princeton colors. No more brilliant orange could 
be conceived of than the masses of foliage which lined Nas- 
sau, Mercer, and Stockton streets and Bayard Avenue. The 
broad, undulating plain southward from the Princeton up- 
lands shimmered soft in the haze of Indian summer. The 
view from Prospect, the President's House, was entrancing: 
a gentle landscape of rolling forests touched here and there 
with the white lines of village spires, and lying fairer to the 
eye because of the dark evergreens which crown the ter- 
races of the President's gardens. 

The avenue of venerable elms which is called McCosh 
Walk drew throngs of visitors. The Curator of Grounds 
and Buildings had spared no efforts to beautify the newer 
portions of the campus back of Dod Hall and Brown Hall 
and around the Brokaw Memorial, and the young turf was 
fresh and full of vigor and lay pleasantly in open, verdant 



22 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



slopes. The walks were neatly trimmed, as they always 
are; but the grass on the front campus looked a little less 
smooth and rich than usual, owing to the dry summer. 
Work had already begun on the new Library Quadrangle, 
but the materials of construction were fenced into a restricted 
space. However, in the midst of all the new buildings, 
spreading from the Infirmary westward, none attracted so 
many loving and admiring glances as the brown walls of 
Nassau Hall, of East and West Colleges, and Dickinson, 
covered all with immemorial green. The roads through the 
hill country north of Princeton, and those to Lawrenceville 
and Kingston, were in fine condition; and fortunate indeed 
were those guests who found time to walk or drive over 
Rocky Hill, or along the zigzags of Stony Brook, or down 
the Millstone River. 

Extensive arrangements having been made for the enter- 
tainment of guests, the immense throng of people who 
began to arrive early on Tuesday, October the 20th, was 
easily accommodated. This was effected by the facilities 
afforded in the way of frequent special trains on the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, between Princeton and New York, Phila- 
delphia, and Trenton, and by the engagement of hotels in 
Trenton. 

The official programme of the three days had now been 
issued. Each day was so arranged that the entire official 
body of delegates, accompanied by the Princeton trustees and 
professors, was to meet in the morning in the same place at 
the same hour, and, after receiving any notices that might 
be opportune, go in academic procession to the first event of 
the day. As a rule, only three events were placed on the 
programme of any day, and every event was planned to 
come within two hours in duration. The programme was 
as follows : 



^ 




^^^ 


dfirst Dai5 

c:uc0&aB, ©ctobcr tbe ^Twcntletb 






General iproQramme 


■(Reception Bag 


of tbc 


10.30 a.m. 




*AcadeiTiic Procession forms 


Princeton 


at Marquand Chapel. 


ScBQuicentennial 


11.00 a.m. 


dclcbration 


♦Religious Service in Alex- 




ander Hall. 


TUESDAY 




OCTOBER THE TWENTIETH 


3.00 p.m. 


WEDNESDAY 


* Reception of Delegates in 


OCTOBER THE TWENTY-FIRST 


Alexander Hall. 


THURSDAY 


4.30 p.m. 


OCTOBER THE TWENTY-SECOND 


*Presentation of Delegates in 


1896 


the Chancellor Green Library. 




9.00 p.m. 


An asterisk {*) indicates occasions at 


Orchestral Concert in Alex- 


which academic costume will be used. 


ander Hall.' 


Events indicated in brackets [], 




though not part of the academic pro- 




gramme, are given for the sake of 




convenience. 





23 



Second 2)ai5 

McDneBOag, ©ctobcr tbe ^wcntB^first 
aiumnl an& StuDent Dag 

10.30 a.m. 

*Academic Procession forms 
at Marquand Chapel. 

11.00 a.m. 

*The Poem and Oration in 
Alexander Hall. 

2.30 p.m. 

[The undergraduate football teams 
of the University of Virginia and 
Princeton University will play on 
the University Athletic Field.] 

8.30 p.m. 

Torchlight Procession and 
Illumination of the Campus. 
The procession will be re- 
viewed by the President of 
the United States. 



a:bursJ)aB, October tbe IwentssseconD 
Sesquicentennlal Bnnivergarg Dag 



10.30 a.m. 

*Academic Procession forms 
at Marquand Chapel. 

U.OO a.m. 

*The Sesquicentennial Cele- 
bration in Alexander Hall. 

3*5 p.m. 

Reception to the President 
and Mrs.Cleveland atProspect. 

8.00 p.m. 

[Glee Club Concert in Alexander 
Hall.] 



< 



b ^ 



CO 



o 



3 , 



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5) 



:3 



For each great occasion of the three days' festival a 
special programme was issued, and was adhered to 
with uniform closeness, except in the case of the reli- 
gious service on the first day, the programme for which 
is here reproduced as it was actually carried out : 































































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: cheerful let them go. 






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Come ye before him and rej 

Know that the Lord is God inde 
Without our aid He did us i 


si 
ffil 


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Praise, laud, and bless His name 
For it is seemly so to do. 

For why ? The Lord our God i 
His mercy is forever sure. 

His truth at all times firmly stoo 
And shall from age to age e: 


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26 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 27 

The procession which formed in Marquand Chapel at half- 
past ten on Tuesday morning, and which marched out two 
and two to wind across the campus past Whig and Clio 
Halls to Alexander Hall, was a mass of brilliant color, the 
orange and black hoods of Princeton of course predominating. 
Professor Libbey marshalled the line, which was headed by 
President Patton and Dean Fisher of the Yale Divinity 
School. Behind them came the faculty of the Princeton 
Theological Seminary ; then Dean Murray and the dele- 
gates from abroad ; then the trustees of the College of New 
Jersey, the representatives of American universities, col- 
leges, and learned societies, the faculty and instructors of 
the College of New Jersey ; and, finally, a number of men 
who have won higher degrees from Princeton. The pro- 
cession entered the ambulatory of Alexander Hall at the 
east end, through an immense concourse of undergraduates, 
alumni, and visitors, and proceeded half way around, and 
passed through the centre of the audience-room, which was 
already half filled. President Patton, with the Princeton 
faculty and those who were to officiate in the service, took 
seats upon the bema, and the rest of the procession was 
massed in the orchestra. At the right of the bema hung 
a large white silk banner with the new arms of the univer- 
sity worked in orange, with the dates 1746- 1896, a gift 
from the ladies of Princeton. The prelude, on the fine 
organ recently given by Mrs. Charles Alexander of New 
York, and placed in the musicians' gallery on the left, was 
played by Professor Dwight Elmendorf, of New York, a 
member of the class of 1882; and at its close a choir 
of undergraduates and alumni sang the anthem " Veni 
Creator Spiritus." Professor Fisher, Dean of the Divinity 
School of Yale University, in a few solemn words in- 
voked the blessing of Almighty God upon the proceedings 
now beginning and upon the future life of Princeton Uni- 



28 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

versity, and the entire assembly sang the One Hundredth 
Psalm. 

Professor De Witt, of the Princeton Theological Semi- 
nary, read the third chapter of the First Epistle to the 
Corinthians, and then President Patton preached the fol- 
lowing sermon : 

Religion and the University. 

FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST. 

I Cor. Hi. II. 

The first charter of the College of New Jersey was signed 
by John Hamilton, " President of His Majesty's Council," 
on the twenty-second day of October, 1746. A second 
charter, still more liberal in its provisions, was obtained 
from Governor Belcher in 1748. 

It was surely the day of small things when a little 
company of Presbyterians in the city of New York and 
its vicinity interested themselves in establishing a seat 
of learning in the Province of New Jersey as a means 
of providing a liberal education for young men intending 
to enter the ministry. The ineffectual efforts which they 
had previously made, and their ultimate success, bear 
striking testimony to the religious intolerance of the 
times, the more enhghtened policy of President Hamilton 
and Governor Belcher, and the liberal spirit of the foun- 
ders of the new institution, who, though Presbyterians 
by conviction, and actuated, in the main, by zeal for the 
religious necessities of their own church, accepted without 
scruple a charter which gave no advantage to any de- 
nomination, and, beyond a scheme for liberal culture, 
made no specific provision for the needs of any profession. 

The spirit of the founders has been kept alive in their 
successors. The interests of the college have always 
been in the hands of religious men, and of men, I may 



,^1^ 



i 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 29 

say, belonging, as a rule, to a particular branch of 
Protestant Christendom ; but it has never been under 
ecclesiastical control. It has served the Church and it 
has served the State without in any sense being under 
the authority of either. The founders of the College of 
New Jersey did not establish a theological school with a 
preparatory department in arts ; they established a Fac- 
ulty of Arts with an embryonic department of theology. 
There is a great difference between the two methods, 
and this difference has determined the course of Prince- 
ton's subsequent development. The establishment, at a 
later date, in Princeton of a theological school under 
ecclesiastical control made it unnecessary and unwise to 
continue theological instruction in the college; and from 
that time until now the teaching force of the College of 
New Jersey has consisted of a single University Faculty 
of Arts. Thanks to the liberal policy of her founders, 
thanks also to the wise Christian spirit of those who 
have guided her course, Princeton College, though ever 
hospitable to new ideas, and ever ready to recognize 
new truth, has throughout her history been true to the 
spirit of those who founded her, and has never had reason 
to feel that in any instance she has violated her charter, 
or been unfaithful to the moral obligations imposed by 
the labors and benefactions of the Christian men who 
have been interested in her welfare. 

Considered in respect to nations and periods that are 
characterized by immobility, the lapse of a hundred and 
fifty years is not a matter that need call for special com- 
memoration. But in this country the beginning of such 
a period antedates the national life. Princeton shares 
with her older sisters. Harvard and Yale, the distinction 
of a life coeval with our national independence, and she 
claims for herself a distinction, shared in equal degree by 



30 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

no other institution, of being a large factor in the making 
of the nation. Of the part that Princeton played in the 
Revolutionary struggle ; of President Witherspoon, who 
signed the Declaration of Independence; of the Prince- 
ton men, and particularly of Madison and Paterson and 
Oliver Ellsworth, who helped to make the Constitution 
of the United States; of the meeting of the Continental 
Congress in this place and under the roof of Nassau 
Hall, you will in all probability be told by another speaker 
on a later occasion. It is enough for me, having men- 
tioned these names in connection with the political his- 
tory of the country, to add to them the names of Henry 
and Guyot in science; of Jonathan Edwards and James 
McCosh in philosophy ; of the Alexanders and Hodges 
in theology; and then to ask if I am making an empty 
boast when I say that Princeton has won for herself a 
conspicuous place in the intellectual history of America. 
It has been the aim of those who have governed this 
institution to make and keep it a Christian college. The 
men who have contributed to its endowment and ad- 
ministered its affairs and taught in its class-rooms have 
been Christian men. They have been men of deep con- 
viction regarding God and his government, and they 
have had high ideas respecting their responsibility for 
the use of time and money. There is in the history of 
the college, in what she has done and in what she has 
been saved from doing, in what she has achieved and 
in what she has escaped, abundant reason for profound 
gratitude. Filled, then, with these thoughts of the past, 
and standing upon the threshold of a new period in the 
history of this institution, let us give thanks to God for 
the good that has been done in his name by the men 
who have served it and the men who have gone out from 
it; and let us pray that to us upon whom devolves 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 31 

the responsibility of opening a new era in the educa- 
tional policy of Princeton there may be granted that 
wisdom which shall save us from mistakes, and that 
grace which shall enable us to use for God's glory the 
power and influence that are given to us by reason of 
our place in the organic life of a great institution. 

Our history, as I cannot help believing, is also a pro- 
phecy. There has been ample time in that history for 
the line of tendency along which we are likely to de- 
velop to reveal itself. For there is an analogy between 
the history of an institution and the growth of an or- 
ganism, and growth is recalcitrant to interference from 
without. You may shape your block of marble as you 
will, but you must be content to see the process of self- 
realization go on in the organism according to the logic 
of its inner life. There are universities that are made 
in obedience to the wills of their founders, which have 
no tradition to conserve. They are free to shape their 
policy in unhampered independence of the past. But it 
is not so with us. We have come to be what we are 
through the slow growth of a hundred and fifty years. 

We have our own ideas of education, which are, in 
part, the result of our experience, and, in part, perhaps, 
an expression of our conservatism. We give large 
place in our curriculum to contemporaneous know- 
ledge, but we are unwilling to part with our modest 
heritage of Hellenic culture. We believe in special- 
ization, but we also believe that the student makes a 
mistake when, in his haste to win his spurs in some 
narrow field of inquiry, he foregoes the advantage of 
a broad general education. Intellectual disciphne is 
good, but it is not so important as high manhood ; 
and, eager though we may be to turn out from year to 
year a few men of high intellectual attainment, we 



32 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

deem it far more important that the great body of our 
graduates should be men of moral courage and re- 
ligious convictions, public-spirited, patriotic, and pos- 
sessed of clear, balanced, and discriminating judgment 
in regard to public questions. 

Princeton has a great work to do in science, philosophy, 
and literature. I have no doubt that she will do it well. 
I hope she will continue to do it under Christian rubrics 
without any loss of moral initiative or religious faith. 

I confess that I am not without my anxieties when 
I think of the future of our American institutions in 
relation to their religion. I see no reason why I 
should not feel anxiety in regard to Princeton, for we 
cannot hope to escape altogether from the operation of 
the forces that are potent elsewhere. 

I feel inchned to-day, speaking not to Princeton men 
alone, nor in regard to Princeton specifically, to employ 
the time allotted to me in considering the relation of 
religion to the university. I do not know of any sub- 
ject that could more properly be considered in a sermon 
addressed to an academic audience ; nor do I know of 
a time when this theme could be more seasonably 
treated than that which is given me in connection with 
these religious services with which we begin our Ses- 
quicentennial Celebration that is designed to com- 
memorate the history of the College of New Jersey 
and to inaugurate Princeton University. 

I 

I CANNOT better begin what I have to say on this 
subject than by reminding you of the fact that re- 
ligion — and by that I mean, of course, the Christian 
religion — is the genetic antecedent of the university. It 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 33 

is true that we cannot impute a distinctively religious 
origin to the universities of Salerno and Bologna, and 
if we are looking for an explanation that will apply 
equally to all the mediaeval universities, we must pay 
for our comprehensiveness by being correspondingly 
vague ; and then we can do no better than say with 
Mr. Rashdall that the rise of the university is due to 
the spirit of association that spread over Europe during 
the middle ages, and that the universities were simply 
guilds of learning. Even then, however, it might be 
worth while to ask whether these guilds, as illustrating 
the fellowship of kindred minds, did not receive a new 
impetus from Christianity, which itself was an expansion 
of the idea of the higher kinship as expounded by the 
Saviour when he said, "Whosoever doeth the will of 
my Father in heaven, the same is my mother and sister 
and brother." But whatever be the origin of the 
Southern universities, those of the North (and they are 
the prototypes of our American colleges and universi- 
ties) were undoubtedly the outgrowth of Christianity. 
The religion of Christ gave men new ideals. It turned 
them from the quest of pleasure and the love of plunder 
to a life of contemplation and the pursuit of knowledge. 
It made them thoughtful, serious, and reverent. Think- 
ing is also religion, I believe Hegel somewhere says ; 
and whether he is right or not, it is certain that the man 
who takes a serious view of life and has learned to ap- 
preciate the deep mystery of Being is not far from the 
place of communion with God. Christianity popularized 
philosophy. For the Christian's creed was a meta- 
physic ; and the man who had been taught to believe in 
Creation, the Incarnation, the Trinity, Sin, and the 
Atonement was obliged in the nature of the case to 
have a very considerable theory of the universe. Many 



34 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

of US, I dare say, remember that we took our first lessons 
in philosophy in the pew, and that we got our first im- 
pulse to think through the sermon. I believe it is 
Stevenson who says that there is "a hum of meta- 
physical divinity about the cradle of every Scot." There 
can be little doubt, I think, that the religious training of 
the Scottish people has had much to do in making them 
the metaphysical people that they are. Christianity has 
done for the world what a particular type of it has done 
in a more marked way for Scotland. It has forced men 
to think. It has made learning a necessity for all who 
wish to be intelligently informed in regard to religion, 
and a particular necessity for those who were the offi- 
cial expounders of Christianity. The mediaeval univer- 
sities were, for the most part, in the hands of the clergy, 
because they had most need of them and could make 
best use of them ; for it must never be forgotten that if 
to-day there are other professions that require quite as 
much learning as the clerical, there was a time when it 
was the only profession that required any. If now, in 
addition to what has been said, it be remembered that 
Christianity inculcated philanthropy and high ideas re- 
specting the duties of citizenship, we shall see how 
largely it enters as a constitutive element in the 
making of the modern university. 

The stages of university history can be roughly indi- 
cated, though we must not press the idea of chronologi- 
cal sequence too far. First came the democratic guild 
of scholars and masters devoting themselves to the 
study of law as in Bologna, or to scholastic divinity as 
in Paris, and living without endowments or even fixed 
places of abode. Then came the period of endowed 
foundations — and perhaps it would be as well to take 
William of Wykeham as a typical example of the great 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 35 

patrons of learning, for he, says Mr. Rashdall, "may be 
allowed the credit of having been the first college 
founder who required his scholars to say their prayers 
morning and evening and go to chapel daily." Then 
in the New World came the colleges like those in New 
England, like Princeton, like Lafayette, like a multitude 
besides in the middle and western States, which were 
the direct outgrowth of Christian philanthropy, and 
which were established with the avowed purpose of 
giving a liberal education from the Christian point of 
view. Then came the State universities, and, last of all, 
the triumph of Christian philanthropy in the lavish use 
of wealth on the part of men like John C. Green, 
Johns Hopkins, Ezra Cornell, and John Rockefeller, for 
the more complete equipment of existing institutions or 
the establishment of new universities. Now, though the 
circumstances attending the establishment of colleges 
and universities are different in different cases, and 
though the religious motive in the establishment of 
some of the more recent universities by private benefi- 
cence, and particularly in the establishment of univer- 
sities under control of the State, is not so manifest as in 
the establishment of those which are more directly 
identified with the religious interests of a particular de- 
nomination of Christians, I am disposed to give Chris- 
tianity credit for them all. I have not yet known of a 
State university where the profession of atheism was 
regarded as a desirable quality in a professor, and I 
happen to know of more than one State university 
where a sympathetic attitude toward revealed religion is 
regarded as an essential qualification for a teacher of 
philosophy. I am glad to have Princeton in that goodly 
fellowship of American colleges that have been estab- 
lished by Christian men, and have been built upon 



36 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Christian foundations. I believe that these colleges 
have done, and are still doing, a work of priceless 
value for the Church and for the State. And yet I 
sometimes wonder whether more use might not be 
wisely made of the State universities ; whether a wise 
economy of resources as in the newer States might not 
suggest such an affiliation of various educational interests 
as would serve to throw around young men a distinctly 
Christian influence, and at the same time open to them 
the opportunities of a wide range of study which only 
a large institution can afford to offer. I recognize very 
distinctly the fact that the ranks of the ministry have 
been recruited very largely from the smaller denomina- 
tional colleges, and I must not for a moment be under- 
stood as in any sense detracting from the immense ser- 
vices which those colleges have rendered and have yet to 
render, or as implying that they deserve any but the 
most liberal support of the denominations to which they 
naturally appeal, when i say that at the present day 
it is a matter of some importance that a very consider- 
able number of those who enter the sacred calling should 
be very intelligently informed in respect to the questions 
now involved in science and philosophy before they 
enter upon the professional study of theology ; and 
that it would be a misfortune if the time should ever 
come when it would be the strong men of the weak 
colleges and the weak men of the strong colleges upon 
whom we should mainly rely to fill up the ranks of the 
Christian ministry. 

I do not wish, however, to ignore the fact that 
true though it may be that the universities are in a gen- 
eral way the offspring of Christianity, there are uni- 
versities (and Princeton is one of them) that may be 
regarded as distinctly Christian institutions. Still they 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 3Y 

are Christian rather in the conditions of their origin 
than in the contents of their curricula. Their object is 
not so much to teach rehgion as to teach science in a 
rehgious spirit. It is more in the way they teach than 
in what they teach that they deserve to be called Chris- 
tian schools. Hence a Christian college is not to be 
judged by the amount of religion that it teaches, or 
the place it assigns to the Scriptures in its curriculum. 
In the colleges and universities of which I speak, Chris- 
tianity underlies, informs, unifies, and is the unexpressed 
postulate of all instruction. And this Christian spirit 
that practically affects teaching without announcing it- 
self, which presupposes Christianity without any irri- 
tating self-assertion, is on the whole the most effective. 
Not that it is to be expected that a Christian university 
should be reticent in regard to the truths of religion. 
Indeed, as I shall at present be at pains to show, it 
cannot be. And so it has come to pass that the uni- 
versity has had its share of religious controversy. Very 
naturally ; for when religion plants a seat of learning 
and installs a faculty, it clearly says that religion is ready 
to be tried by rational tests. The child of the Chris- 
tian consciousness, the university by and by becomes its 
critic. Born of Christianity, the time comes when it 
attains its majority and refuses to remain in ecclesias- 
tical leading-strings. This may seem ungrateful, but it 
cannot be helped. The necessary consequence of the 
alliance between religion and the university is the ra- 
tionalizing of religion. It is easy to see that the ex- 
tremes of tendency are superstition on the one hand 
and infidelity on the other. Ecclesiasticism pure and 
simple may easily run to the one extreme ; intellectual- 
ism pure and simple may as easily run to the other. 
How to be saved from either may be difficult; but we 



38 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

may be sure that the rehgion which in the last analysis 
will not bear examination must go down. Credo quia 
impossibile is not the basis of a sound apologetic; and 
whether it be Tertullian or Mr. Kidd who would have 
us think so, it can never be rational to believe in an 
irrational religion. 

The rationalizing process may go wrong, but that is 
no reason why men should stop thinking; and a univer- 
sity is a very dead place if the men in it do not think. 
When, therefore, the masters of the University of Paris 
told the Pope that on a certain matter of dogmatic 
theology they were more competent to speak than he 
was, they were doing exactly what they might have 
been expected to do, and in doing this were the pre- 
cursors of that movement which put so many of the 
universities of northern Europe on the side of Protes- 
tantism and made them the embodiments of the spirit 
of religious independence. When I say that the criticism 
of religion in the university is inevitable, I am not say- 
ing that it is of the essence of the university that its 
teachings should be absolutely free. I have nothing to 
say here by way of objection to those universities where 
absolute freedom of teaching is the rule. There are 
universities, I know, where that absolute freedom would 
not be allowed. So far as Princeton is concerned I 
find myself in very agreeable harmony with what one 
of my younger colleagues has said in a recent periodi- 
cal. "Princeton," says Professor Daniels, "is definitely 
and irrevocably committed to Christian ideals. It has 
therefore, with reference to certain primary problems, 
already taken a definite position. It stands for a theistic 
metaphysic. Nor does it claim or desire any reputa- 
tion for impartiality or open-mindedness which is to be 
purchased by a sacrifice of this its traditional philosophic 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 39 

attitude." Princeton then, as we are told, "stands for a 
theistic metaphysic." The critic might say, if he were 
so disposed, that with equal reason it might be made 
to stand for something less, or might be made to stand 
for something more; and that there is something arbi- 
trary about the boundary line that separates the kingdom 
of fixed belief from that of free discussion. Now I 
venture to say that the weight of the sentence that I 
have thought sufficiently significant to quote lies not so 
much in what Princeton is said to stand for as in the 
fact that she is said to stand for something; and I can 
easily believe that the exact quantum of belief for which 
Princeton stands may be some thing about which indi- 
viduals may now differ and may vary from age to age. 
What Princeton stands for really depends upon those 
who govern her. No matter what our origin was; 
what was believed one hundred and fifty years ago; 
what Christian symbol or legend we put on the univer- 
sity seal; what moral obligations are imposed by gifts 
of generous benefactors, — the exact amount of religious 
belief that this university will stand for can be deter- 
mined only by the amount of belief that the trustees 
have the moral courage to enunciate in the form of a 
resolution. That will depend upon the state of public 
opinion; the degree of sensitiveness to public opinion on 
the part of men who hold the places of responsibility; 
and the amount of strong conviction ready for expres- 
sion at any given time by the governing body. 

This only shows how solemn the responsibility is 
which rests upon the twenty-seven men who control 
Princeton University. They have power to vote in the 
election of their colleagues, but no power to direct 
their votes after they take office. We have received 
this institution from a past generation, and we hold it 



40 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

with absolute power of tradition to the next. We can- 
not bind our successors. We may install them with 
due solemnity of precatory phrase, but we cannot predict 
or control their action. The sacred interests of Prince- 
ton are in our keeping. We have but a simple duty 
respecting their transfer to the next generation. St. 
Paul has expressed that duty in his own words to Tim- 
othy: "The things which thou hast heard of me, the 
same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able 
to teach others also." 

II 

There is another phase of the subject with which we 
are dealing. It concerns the inquiry as to the extent 
to which religion, and particularly the Christian religion, 
should enter into the curriculum of the university. There 
are two extreme positions sometimes taken by those who 
express themselves upon this question. There are some 
who seem to suppose that it is proper and possible to 
exclude all reference to religion, and confine the work 
of university instruction to strictly secular themes. 
Others, again, seem not to realize the changed condi- 
tions of university life, and suppose that it is easy to 
carry on through the entire undergraduate curriculum 
a scheme of enforced religious instruction based upon 
an accepted type of thought in respect to the Bible and 
revealed religion. I am confident that a more careful 
study will show that both of these positions are wrong ; 
and that nothing requires more wisdom, tact, and know- 
ledge of the actual conditions of thought in the learned 
world than the problem of religion in the university. It 
is a very large subject, and I question whether it can be 
adequately dealt with by any one who is not in actual 
contact with undergraduate life, and who is not aware 



I 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 41 

of the ins and outs of thought in it ; and who, moreover, 
is not by reason of professional study brought into close 
relations with the religious problems of the present day. 
For myself, I believe that in the early years of under- 
graduate life a course of elementary biblical instruction, 
adapted to the needs of young men who are no longer 
school-boys on the one hand, and are not yet students 
of philosophy on the other, is a most important part of 
the curriculum ; but I would not carry biblical instruc- 
tion into the upper years of the curriculum, unless, in 
point of scientific thoroughness, it could compare fa- 
vorably with the work done in other departments ; and 
then, of course, I would not make it compulsory, though 
I firmly believe that advanced students in philosophy 
and literature should have the opportunity of seeing 
how the problems of literature and philosophy bear upon 
the Bible and Christianity. For if secular themes are to 
be discussed in a Christian university in a religious spirit 
and under Christian conceptions, it is no less true that 
religious themes must be discussed in a scientific spirit 
and according to scientific principles. It is impossible 
for a university to discharge its functions without de- 
claring itself upon the great question of religion. The 
subject no longer lies within the easy possibilities of 
definition which existed half a century ago. Then the 
student of Reid or Dugald Stewart debated the question 
of mediate or immediate perception, or accepted the easy 
account of the mental powers as they were mapped out 
for him in the psychology of introspection, and seldom 
went any deeper. His religious faith was buttressed by 
a course of lectures on the evidences of Christianity, 
which treated as postulates what have since become 
some of the most serious problems of our times. There 
were religious difficulties to be dealt with, but they lay, 



42 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

for the most part, in a remote corner of the field of in- 
quiry, and concerned questions hke the days of Genesis 
and the extent of the Deluge. It is otherwise now; for 
the doctrine of evolution has made a great change in 
regard to the place of religion in the studies of the uni- 
versities. Every subject is considered from the histori- 
cal point of view and according to the genetic method ; 
and, whether we approve of it or not, the religious prob- 
lem is forced into prominence. A man cannot study 
genetic psychology and metaphysics and the theory of 
knowledge at the present day without facing the prob- 
lem of a separate and enduring selfhood, and without 
asking whether the world is to be construed according 
to a theistic or a pantheistic metaphysic. It is idle for 
the theologians to attempt, as the Ritschlians do, to 
exclude metaphysics from theology ; but it is just as 
idle for the philosopher to talk of excluding theology 
from metaphysics; theology is philosophy and phil- 
osophy is theology, so far as the question of the rela- 
tion of God to the world is concerned. All problems 
in philosophy go back to two questions: whether God 
exists separate from the world, and whether we exist 
separate from God. The fate of religion lies in the 
answer to these questions. When, therefore, the stu- 
dent is wrestling with the problems of metaphysics, he 
is putting his religious faith on trial. It is easy, then, to 
see the vital relations which the chair of philosophy sus- 
tains to practical Christianity, and the responsibility that 
one assumes when he undertakes to be guide, philos- 
opher, and friend to the young man who finds himself 
obliged to seek for himself a fresh orientation in refer- 
ence to his religious belief Now, if one half of our 
religion, or what is commonly called natural religion, is 
necessarily involved in the study of philosophy, the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 43 

other half, or what is known as revealed religion, is as 
necessarily involved in the study of history. We should 
hardly think of excluding the history of civilization from 
the studies of the university, yet it would be difficult, I 
imagine, to treat the history of institutions without refer- 
ence to Christianity, or to trace the history of ethical 
ideas without mentioning the New Testament, or to write 
the history of opinion in respect to social morality with- 
out regard to the Sermon on the Mount and the Pauline 
literature. These writings may, doubtless, be referred 
to without raising the question of their authority; but 
that question must be raised sooner or later, because 
the question respecting authority is involved in that of 
origin ; and the question respecting the origin of the 
sacred books is involved in the question respecting the 
place of Christianity in the history of the world; and 
this again is part of the broader question respecting 
the meaning and the history of religion. Any theory 
that undertakes to explain human history must be ade- 
quate to give a rational explanation of religion. It is 
not merely because of its practical importance, but also 
because of its persistent universality, that it has become 
the object of so much interest to the philosopher. Hence 
it happens that the most earnest students of the phe- 
nomena of religion are not always religious men, but 
men, often, who are anxious to show that their theories 
which destroy the value of religion are abundantly ade- 
quate to explain it. Now, when one enters upon the 
study of the history of religion, I do not see how he 
can content himself with the simple recognition of 
Christianity as one of the forms in which the religious 
consciousness has been manifested; or how he can avoid 
assuming some attitude in respect to the exceptional 
claims that Christianity makes in its own behalf. He 



44 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

knows what attitude some of the philosophers are tak- 
ing. They are becoming constructive theologians. 
They are lecturing on Jesus and St. Paul, and ex- 
pounding the ethics and metaphysics of the New Tes- 
tament in the interests of naturalism. What shall he 
do? Shall the agnostic be free to deny the claims of 
Christianity, and he be hindered from defending it? 
Now I venture to say that the philosophical construc- 
tion of the facts of Christianity is forced upon us by 
the conditions of thought under which we live ; and 
that there is no subject wider in its sweep, more im- 
perative in its claim, and more momentous in the issues 
with which it deals, than the philosophy of religion. 
Into the making of it go one's psychology, one's ethic, 
one's metaphysic, one's history, one's literary criticism; 
and on it depend in greater or less degree one's social 
science, one's politics, one's jurisprudence, one's the- 
ology, one's religion. The day has passed when re- 
ligion was regarded as something very important, but 
not very interesting. There are too many, I fear, who 
do not regard it as important; but among philosophers 
it is generally conceded to be interesting. No well- 
appointed university can refrain from dealing with its 
problems. For us there can be but one of two posi- 
tions : we must be silent and hand over the discus- 
sion to the sceptic, or we must show ourselves worthy 
of the high place we have already won in the depart- 
ment of religious philosophy, and take a strong position 
on the side of historic Christianity. There is little doubt 
among us, I think, respecting the attitude that Princeton 
should ever hold. Leaving to the theological schools 
and to the appropriate ecclesiastical tribunals the dis- 
cussion of questions in divinity on which the churches 
are divided, and standing aloof from sectarian contro- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 45 

versy, it is our duty to hold ourselves ready for the de- 
fence of those fundamental truths in philosophy and in 
religion, in the maintenance of which Christians of every 
name have a common interest. I hope that Princeton 
will always stand for belief in the living God, the im- 
mortal self, an imperative morality, and the Divine 
Christ. On this broad platform all the true friends of 
Princeton can meet, and here we must stand if we would 
be true to the spirit of our history and continue to de- 
serve the confidence of Christian men. 



Ill 

I TRUST that I have made it clear that I fully recognize 
the fact that however true it may be that Christian ideas 
have been the moving causes in the endowment of uni- 
versities and particularly of this, and however much it 
may be proper and even inevitable that the great fun- 
damental truths of Christianity should have place in 
university teaching, the particular end for which the 
university exists is not primarily the promotion of re- 
ligion. The university should not be expected to do the 
work of the Church. It has ends of its own, and these 
are not distinctively religious. And yet we cannot keep 
religion altogether out of our minds when we consider 
these ends. Religion is indeed, as a little reflection will 
show, necessary to the full and satisfactory realization 
of the ends for which the university exists ; and it is in 
this light that I now wish to regard it. 

It is not necessary to lay stress upon the mediasval 
distinction between the university of masters and the 
university of scholars for the purpose of settling ques- 
tions of precedence or of determining the relations they 
sustain to each other. It would hardly be denied on 



46 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the one hand that the professor's business is to teach; 
and it would be pretty generally conceded on the other 
that more is expected of him than the discharge of his 
pedagogic functions. But the distinction I have referred 
to will serve a good purpose if it reminds us that the 
professors of a university sustain a relation to the general 
public apart from the relation they sustain to the stu- 
dents who listen to their instruction. They constitute 
the priesthood of learning, and are set apart for the 
service of truth. Besides training young men for the ac- 
tive duties of life, it may be fairly expected of them that 
they should enlarge the borders of knowledge and con- 
tribute substantially to the formation of a sound public 
opinion. These, indeed, I take it, are the three great 
functions of the university. The institution that is not 
doing something in each of these directions is not accom- 
plishing the work it was intended to do ; and for the 
successful accomplishment of this work a reverent atti- 
tude toward religion and a certain amount of religious 
faith would seem to be a logical necessity. 

I lay stress upon that side of the professor's life which 
relates him to the general public, for the non-academic 
consciousness does not always properly apprehend it. 
The professor would not think that his calling were 
possessed of so much inherent dignity if he regarded 
himself simply as the means of imparting to a body of 
mediocre and often very idle young men the modest 
amount of knowledge that they acquire during a college 
course ; and he would particularly resent the crude 
Philistinism that regards him simply in the light of an 
, employe. The dignity of the professor's calling can be 
maintained only by regarding the incumbent of this office 
as holding a commission as an independent seeker after 
truth. There is something fascinating in such a life. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 47 

In its fine scorn of material things, in its dignified and 
independent simplicity, there is surely something to ad- 
mire. We cannot help feeling, it is true, that intellec- 
tual labor is sometimes wasted on very unimportant 
matters ; and that much of what was never known 
before is not worth knowing; and that original re- 
search so often means only infinite pains for the gather- 
ing of facts that involve no theory and help no generali- 
zation and apparently serve no other purpose than to 
verify the statement that of making many books there 
is no end, and that much study is a weariness of the 
flesh. Then, too, we find it hard sometimes to bear 
the great man's arrogance and conceit ; and it disap- 
points us to see him enter the world's market and sell 
his rash judgments and crude novelties for such poor 
price of place or fame as the world will give. But, after 
all, the marvel is that the appetite for learning and the 
zest with which men engage in intellectual toil should be 
so enduring. I particularly wonder at the intellectual 
earnestness of men who have discarded all religious be- 
lief. They seem to be so inconsistent and illogical ; 
they especially impress me so when they employ their 
energies in seeking to destroy the world's faith in God, 
for they seem to be undermining their own career and 
leaving it without a reason. For on the supposition 
that the world is a system of thought-relations there is 
something natural in man's persistent effort to explain 
his habitat and give an account of himself. For whether 
God be our unreached goal of endeavor, the ideal Good, 
the infinite Knower in front of us, above and beyond ; or 
whether it be that the inspiration of the Almighty gives 
man understanding, so that he is the master light of all 
our seeing: in either case there is a religious element in 
all inquiry; there is something that partakes almost of a 



48 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

religious act in every serious effort to understand the 
world ; there is something almost sacramental in the 
apprehension of a great idea which at the same moment 
interprets the world and brings the mind into fellow- 
ship with God. I believe that the indwelling Spirit of 
God is the source of our curiosity; that our restless 
seeking after the right understanding of the world is 
one of the ways in which God reveals himself; that the 
religious nature of man is the key to his intellectual ac- 
tivity and the basis of even his irreligious zeal ; that if 
there were no God and no fellowship between God and 
man, if all that is were explicable in the terms of matter 
and motion, there could be no ideals and no intellectual 
ambition ; that if man should lose his faith in God, he 
would lose his love of truth; and that the death of re- 
ligion would be the death of intellectual endeavor. 

There is another work which the university ought to 
perform. It should contribute toward the forming of a 
sound public opinion. In a broad and far-reaching sense 
it should teach patriotism. There is, I grant, a great deal 
to justify the confidence with which we rest in the sober 
second thought of the nation, and the optimism which 
makes us feel that the common sense of the American 
people is equal to any emergency. The essential moral- 
ity of the people of our land, as it finds expression in 
the pulpit and the press, is a great source of comfort in 
a time of national peril. And yet when fundamental 
morality is assailed, when revolutionary views of gov- 
ernment are publicly expounded, when socialistic the- 
ories find plausible advocates, it will not do to rely 
altogether upon popular sentiment or the common sense 
of the American people. We must do something to keep 
this common sense from being corrupted, and this must 
consist of something more than popular harangue and 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 49 

the florid iteration of the commonplaces of moraHty. 
There must be deep philosophical discussion of great 
public questions by men of acknowledged authority in 
political, social, and economic science. This work can 
be done better in the universities than anywhere else. 
This is what I mean when I say that the university 
should be a school of patriotism. Of a certain type 
of patriotism there is no lack. We may trust the in- 
stincts of our people, without any help from academic 
sources, to resist foreign interference and defend na- 
tional honor. We understand without being reminded 
of it that this land is our heritage and that this western 
civilization is our problem. But the day is past when 
national pride and patriotic devotion can be best ex- 
hibited by awakening the memories of international 
antagonism. We are in no danger of invasion. Our 
foes are those of our own household. Our difficulties 
are those which we share with other nations. They are 
evils incident to the struggle for the democratization of 
government, or that are consequent on its rapid devel- 
opment; that follow as a consequence of the congested 
life of great cities, or grow out of the complicated ma- 
chinery of industrialism. We who believe in the sta- 
bility of government as an ordinance of God should 
stand by each other in all civilized lands on account of 
the dangers common to all. I believe that the uni- 
versities have something to do toward helping on the 
cause of good feeling between the nations, and particu- 
larly between those tM^o nations that are so closely 
bound to each other by the ties of blood, the bonds of a 
common speech, a common law, and a common religion. 
Part of the history that we commemorate and of which 
we are proud is the place that Princeton took in the 
struggle for independence against the mother-land. And 



50 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

now I trust that Princeton, as she enters upon a new era 
in her history, will do her part toward the formation 
of a public sentiment that shall make it impossible for the 
clash of arms ever to be heard again between the two 
great nations of the English-speaking world. I hope 
that she will do something to stimulate the develop- 
ment of the international conscience, to widen the range 
of international law, and to hasten the day when in- 
ternational disputes shall be settled by arbitration. 
International law rests on a basis of morality. It is 
essentially a university study, and I should like to see 
Princeton take a high place in connection with its 
development. 

But, as I have already implied, the questions which 
give us most cause for anxiety are national, and not in- 
ternational. The question with us is whether the popu- 
lar will is still on the side of constitutional government; 
whether the public conscience will stand by the financial 
integrity of the nation; whether great cities can have 
good government; and whether the ten commandments 
shall continue to regulate social behavior. It is true 
that a campaign of education is needed. But it is an 
education beyond that which the statistician and the 
collector of facts can give us. It is an education beyond 
that which appeals to our selfish greed. It must be an 
education which goes to the roots of our moral life. 
For purposes of convenience you may entrust the sci- 
ence of ethics to one man, and of politics to another, and 
of jurisprudence to a third. The economist may study 
the laws of industrial activity, and the student of social 
science deal with the pathological conditions of society 
— the poverty, the moral pollution, the crime; but when 
we come to ask whether the remedy is to be found in 
laisser faire, or the interference of the state, or in moral 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 51 

measures, we shall find that no department is isolated 
and distinct; that our metaphysics, our ethics, our juris- 
prudence, our economics, our politics, our social sci- 
ence, all overlap each other; that all are comprehended 
in the one idea that we live in a moral universe. I 
do not like the phrase Christian socialism, and I cer- 
tainly do not agree with the opinion entertained by 
those who use it most. But if Christianity is true, we 
cannot afford to ignore what it has to say; and there 
can be no sound public opinion upon these great ethical 
problems which does not make acknowledgment of the 
binding obligations of the laws of the kingdom of God. 
But there is another work which the university is 
expected to do; and this, though it does not so com- 
pletely fill the imagination of the ambitious professor 
who dreams of fame, is nevertheless the greatest work 
which it can do. It is the province of the university to 
train men, by means of a liberal education, for the active 
duties of life. It is given only to a few to add to the 
world's stock of knowledge; it is only at rare intervals 
that we shall succeed in turning out a great thinker who 
will make his mark upon his age. But our colleges and 
universities are contributing every year to the moral and 
intellectual forces of the world a body of young men 
whose aggregate influence is enormous. It would be 
a mistake if we should ever come to undervalue this 
work in Princeton or assign it a second place. There 
may easily be too many men engaged in the special 
work of the scholar; there are only limited opportun- 
ities for a career in science; but there is an unlimited 
demand for men who can bring to the discharge of the 
ordinary duties of citizenship the advantages of a liberal 
education. The best work of Princeton is represented 
to-day in her 3916 living graduates. They are our let- 



52 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

ters of commendation. It is of course not to be ex- 
pected of the average graduate that he should be a 
technical scholar. But we have done something if we 
have opened the eyes of his understanding, that he may 
know what the world of thought and learning means. 
We have done something if we have helped him so to 
widen the area of his selfhood and adjust it to the 
world he lives in that he can enter into appreciative 
relationship with the true, the beautiful, and the good. 
We have done something if we have so impressed his 
moral nature that he is able to have worthy ideals in 
regard to his own life, and a comprehensive sense of the 
duties of citizenship. We have rendered no small ser- 
vice to the world if as the result of our work the men 
who go out from our halls are so appreciative of what- 
soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 
whatsoever things are of good report, that they will 
think on these things. It needs no argument to show 
that the complete man is he whose culture culminates 
in religion. The utilitarian view of education, which 
regards it as a means to an end, is not to be despised. 
I should not be so unpractical as to overlook the fact 
that education helps a man to make a place in the world, 
to win fortune, fame, and power. But a large place 
must be given to religion in the profit and- loss account 
of life ; for what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole 
world and lose his own soul ? University men are in 
an ever increasing degree to be the influential men in 
this nation. These are the men to whom we must look 
to be the standard-bearers of a high morality, to set an 
example of unselfish living for worthy ends; and that 
their influence may be good in the ratio that it is 
great, it is necessary that their moral and religious na- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 53 

tures shall be trained as well as their intellectual powers. 
We might well feel discouraged if the educated men 
of this land should cease to be religious. And if the 
graduates of our universities should turn their backs 
upon the religion of their fathers, we might well exclaim: 
"If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that 
darkness! " 

IV 

This leads me to say, in a closing word, that the re- 
ligious thought of the university must inevitably affect 
the popular religion. University men set the intel- 
lectual fashion of the day in religion as in other things. 
I do not mean by this, of course, that religion will hold 
its own by the grace of university authorities, any more 
than I believe that God depends on the good-will of 
the philosophers for the popular recognition of his au- 
thority. Believing as I do in revealed religion, I do 
not believe that it will be destroyed by the labors of a 
few professors of historical and literary criticism. But 
there may be, as there have been, times of religious de- 
clension and relative loss of faith. And it is a matter 
of great moment to religion whether or no the intel- 
lectual atmosphere in the university is favorable to 
serious religious thought. I should like to see a less 
absorbing interest in sport and a more serious intel- 
lectual tone. I would not cut off social pleasure from 
university life; but I would not have a university career 
degenerate into a period of indolent enjoyment. I 
would not take life too seriously ; but I would not make 
it a jest. There is reason to fear that men may become 
sceptics, but there is more reason to fear that they will 
lapse into indifference. There is a one-sided culture 
that may prove itself the enemy of all that is deepest and 



54 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

best in our nature. There is a type of Hellenism that 
ends in a pagan rehabilitation of the flesh, where the 
sensuous love of beauty slides easily into sensual dis- 
regard of morals. There is a scientific devotion to 
material facts which may end in the atrophy of the finer 
elements of our spiritual nature, and so affect our poetry, 
our sentiment, our hope, our trust in the Father in 
heaven. These are tendencies in university life that 
awaken anxiety in thoughtful minds. 

And yet I do not think that the religious influence 
of the university is only, or even chiefly, negative. 
From the time of Wickliff"e in Oxford and Huss in 
Prague until the present day, the universities have been 
centres of religious movements. We have had Puri- 
tanism and Rationalism and Sacramentarianism. Chris- 
tianity has been attacked and it has been defended by 
university men. There have been periods of negative 
theology and periods of apologetic. And with the 
thought of the day on all questions centring in and in- 
volving religious problems, one cannot help beHeving 
that the university will soon be the centre of another re- 
ligious movement. It will not be patristic and it will 
not be Puritan in form ; but it must be constructive. 
It will attempt the synthesis of modern thought in his- 
tory, philosophy, and criticism in reference to the prob- 
lem of Christianity. The process may not go on as 
we could wish, and there may not go into it all that 
we could desire ; but the work will proceed upon the 
basis of the written Word and the Word made flesh. 
The Logos will be the key to our metaphysic, our his- 
tory, our social philosophy, our theory of life. The 
men who engage in this work will rebuild the edifice of 
faith upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. I do 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 55 

not know what part Princeton will have in this religious 
movement which — dare I prophesy it? — may open 
the twentieth century. It would be strange if she 
should have none. The fathers of this institution have 
laid the foundations deep and strong. It is ours to build 
thereon. Let us take heed how we build thereupon. 
Let us especially be careful not to undo the work al- 
ready done: for other foundation can no man lay than 
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

But whatever be our place in the sphere of religious 
philosophy, let us hope and pray that in the sphere of 
practical religious life Princeton may keep the place 
she has always held. No part of our work is more 
important than that which addresses itself to the devo- 
tional side of our nature and that centres in our chapel 
services. There have been in past days great seasons 
of religious awakening in this college. I pray God 
that times of refreshing may come again. There has 
always been here a body of earnest, spiritually minded 
men; there were never more than there are to-day. 
Christianity, as we understand it, is more than a series 
of precepts: it is a way of salvation. We preach Christ 
Jesus, and him crucified. We believe that he is the 
propitiation for our sins, and that we have redemption 
through his blood. Through all the hundred and fifty 
years of the history of the College of New Jersey this 
message has been faithfully proclaimed in her pulpit; 
and it is the earnest prayer of all who love her best, 
and have served her most, that the day may never 
come when it can be said of those who hold high 
place in Princeton University that they are ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ. 



56 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

After the sermon, which was Hstened to throughout with 
close attention, particularly in the passages which appealed 
for Christian relations between the two great branches of 
the English-speaking race, and which met with immediate 
response from the entire audience, a prayer was offered by 
Dean Murray, and the hymn " Ein' feste Burg ist unser 
Gott" was sung. The Rev. Dr. W. B. Bodine, of Phila- 
delphia, pronounced the benediction. 

When the service was concluded the official body of dele- 
gates, trustees, and professors was entertained at luncheon 
by Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Green. The less formal round 
of teas, dinners, and luncheons of the preceding week now 
began to take on more of the character of academic func- 
tions. Of these the chief were the President's dinners, the 
luncheons and teas provided by Mr. and Mrs. Green, the 
dinners and luncheons of several professors and trustees — 
all ending, on the third day of the feast, with the luncheon 
to the President of the United States and Mrs. Cleveland, 
and the farewell dinner to the delegates. 

The delegates from other institutions and from learned 
societies were formally received, at three o'clock on Tues- 
day afternoon, in Alexander Hall. Upon this occasion the 
delegates from abroad, and the presidents, provosts, and 
deans of American universities, occupied the platform, the 
other delegates being seated, with the faculty and trustees 
of Princeton University, in the orchestra, while the rest of 
the house was open, by ticket, to the public. The delegates 
and the institutions they represented were : 

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston. 

Hon. William Everett. 
American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Hon. J. Craig Biddle, '41. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 57 

American University, Washington. 

Chancellor John Fletcher Htirst. 

Amherst College, Massachusetts. 

President Merrill Edwards Gates. 
Andover Theological Seminary, Massachusetts. 

President Egbert Coffin Smyth. 

University of Athens, Greece. 

Hon. Dimitrius Botassi, 

Consid-General of the Kingdom of Greece, New York. 

Auburn Theological Seminary, New York. 

P^'ofessor Henry Matthias Booth. 

Bangor Theological Seminary, Maine. 

President George W. Gilmore, '8j. 

The Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York. 

Professor William T. Lusk. 
Bowdoin College, Maine. 

President William De Witt Hyde. 

Brown University, Rhode Island. 

Professor Albert Harkness. 

The Bucknell University, Pennsylvania. 

President John Howard Harris. 

University of California, California. 

Professor Joseph LeConte. 

University of Cambridge, England. 

Professor Joseph John Thomson. 

The Catholic University of America, Washington. 
Professor F. Hy vernal. 

The Central University of Kentucky, Kentucky. 
Chancellor L. H. Blanton. 



58 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

The University of Chicago, Illinois. 

President William Rainey Harper. 

The University of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Professor Thomas Herbert Norton. 

Clark University, Massachusetts. 

President G. Stanley Hall. 

College of Charleston, South Carolina. 

President Henry E. Shepherd. 

Columbia University, New York. 

President Seth Low. 

Columbian University, Washington. 

Pi'esident B. L. Whitman. 

Cornell University, New York. 

President Jacob Gould Schurman. 

Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia. 

President John Forrest. 

Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. 

President William J. Tucker. 

Drew Theological Seminary, New Jersey. 

Presidejit Henry A. Buttz. 

University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Professor Andrew Seth. 

The College of Emporia, Kansas. 

President J. D. Hewitt. 

Erskine College, South Carolina. 

Professor J. I. McCain. 

Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania. 

President John S. Stahr. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 59 

Georgetown University, District of Columbia. 

President Joseph Haveiis Richards, S. J. 

University of Gottingen, Germany. 

Professor Felix Klein. 

University of Halle, Germany. 

Professor Johannes Conrad. 

Hamilton College, New York. 

Dea7i A. G. Hopkins. 

The College of Hampden Sidney, Virginia. 
Professor Walter Blair. 

Hartford Theological Seminary, Connecticut. 

President Chester D. Hartranft. 

Harvard University, Massachusetts. 

President Charles William Eliot, 
Professor George Lincoln Goodale, 
Professor William James. 

Hobart College, New York. 

Dean W. Pitt Durfee. 

The Jefferson Medical College, Pennsylvania. 
Professor James C. Wilson. 

The Johns Hopkins University, Maryland. 

President Da7iiel Coil Gilman. 

The University of Kansas, Kansas. 

Chancellor Francis H. Snow. 
Kenyon College, Ohio. 

Professor William F. Peirce. 
Knox College, Canada. 

Principal William Caven. 



60 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Lafayette College, Pennsylvania. 

President Ethelbert Dudley Warfield, '82. 

The Lake Forest University, Illinois. 

Mr. Cyrils Hall McCormick, 'yg. 

Lane Theological Seminary, Ohio. 

Professor Kemper Fullerton, '88. 

Lehigh University, Pennsylvania. 

President ThoiJias Mes singer Drown. 

University of Leipzig, Germany. 

Professor Karl Brugmann. 

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. 

President Isaac N. Kendall. 

University of London, England. 

Professor Joseph John Thomson. 
McCormick Theological Seminary, Illinois. 

Professor A . C. Zenos. 

McGill University, Canada. 

Pj^incipal Williafn Peterson. 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts. 

President Francis A. Walker. 

The University of Michigan, Michigan. 

President James Burrill Angell. 

The University of Minnesota, Minnesota. 

President Cyrus Northrup. 

University of the State of Missouri, Missouri. 
Preside7it Richard H. Jesse. 

Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania. 

President Theodore L. Seip. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 61 

National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C, 
Professor John Trowbridge, 

of Harvard University. 

Professor Charles Augustus Young, 

of Princeton University. 

University of Nebraska, Nebraska. 

Chancellor George E. MacLean. 

New York Law School, New York. 

Dean George Chase. 

The University of North Carolina, North Carolina. 
President E. A. Alderman. 

Northwestern University, Illinois. 

President He7ny Wade Rogers. 

Oberlin College, Ohio. 

Professor G. Frederick Wright. 

Ohio State University, Ohio. 

Hon. D. M. Massie, '80. 

University of Oxford, England. 

Professor Goldwin Smith, 

of Toronto. 

Professor Edward Bagnall Potilto7t. 

University of Paris, France. 

Professor Henri Moissan. 

University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. 

Provost Charles Custis Harrison. 

Presbyterian Theological Seminary, South Carolina. 
Rev. Dr. Samuel S. Laws. 

Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey. 

Professor Willia?n Henry Green. 



62 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Queen's College and University, Canada. 

Chancellor Sandford Fleming. 

Randolph Macon College, Virginia. 

President W. W. Smith. 

Roanoke College, Virginia. 

President Julius D. Dreher. 

Robert College, Constantinople, Turkey. 

Professor Charles Anderson. 

The Royal Society, London, E,ngland. 

Professor Joseph John Thomson. 

Rutgers College, New Jersey. 

President A ustiji Scott. 

University of St. Andrews, Scotland. 

Principal William Peterson, 

of AIcGill College and University. 

San Francisco Seminary, California. 

Professor William Alexander. 

The Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 

Professor Samuel Pierpont Langley, 

Secretary Smithsonian Institution. 

South Carolina College, South Carolina. 

President James Woodrow. 

Southwestern Presbyterian University, Tennessee. 

Professor James Adair Lyon, '7^. 

Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania. 

President Charles DeGarmo. 

Syrian Protestant College, Syria. 

President Daniel Bliss. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 63 

University of Texas, Texas. 

Professor George Brttce Halsted, '75. 

University of Toronto, Canada. 

President James London. 

Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. 

Professor Robert Yelverton Tyrrell* 
Professor Edward Dowden. 

Union Theological Seminary, New York. 

President Thomas Samuel Hastings. 

Union University, New York. 

President Andrew Vafi Vranken Raymond. 

The United States Military Academy, West Point. 
Colonel Peter S. Michie, U. S. A. 

United States Naval Academy, Annapolis. 

Commander Edwin White, U. S. N. 

University of Utrecht, Holland. 

Professor Ariiold Ambrosins Willem Hubrecht. 

Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. 

Professor William L. Dudley. 

University of Vermont, Vermont. 

President Matthew Henry Buckham. 

University of Virginia, Virginia. 

Professor F. H. Smith. 

Washington and Jefferson College, Pennsylvania. 
President James D. Moffat. 

The Washington and Lee University, Virginia. 

Professor Hemy A lexander White. 

* Professor Tyrrell had arranged to be present, but was unavoidably detained. 



64 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Wesleyan University, Connecticut. 

Professor John M. Van Vlcck, Acting President. 

Western Theological Seminary, Pennsylvania. 
Professor Matthew Brown Riddle. 

Western University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. 
Chancellor William J. Holland. 

The College of William and Mary, Virginia. 

Professor Lyon G. Tyler. 

Williams College, Massachusetts. 

Pi^esident Franklin Carter. 

University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin. 

President Charles Kendall Adams. 

Wittenberg College, Ohio. 

Pi'esident S. A. Ort. 

Yale University, Connecticut. 

Professor George Park Fisher, 

Dean of the Divinity School. 

After music by Lander's orchestra, Mr. Charles E. Green, 
of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Committee on the 
Sesquicentennial Celebration, opened the exercises with a 
brief statement of what Princeton College had done for the 
country ; what she had stood for in the educational world 
and in the national life ; her spirit and attitude toward both ; 
of the stimulus to thinking and high work that had been 
given the college by the lectures during the preceding week; 
of the eminent men who had addressed in them the univer- 
sity world ; of Princeton's appreciation of so large and dis- 
tinguished a representation from the universities and colleges 
of the old world and the new ; and most cordially welcomed 
to the homes and hospitality of Princeton and the university 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 65 

those who had responded to our invitation and honored us 
by their presence. He also bade the representatives of the 
institutions which had sent addresses, to express Princeton's 
cordial appreciation of the very kind and flattering terms in 
which they had been pleased to express their good wishes to 
the college as it entered upon a new era. 

Mr. Green then introduced the Rev. Dr. Howard Duffield, 
of New York, who welcomed the delegates in the following 
address : 

Fellow Princetonians and Friends of Nassau Hall: 

Alma Mater keeps open house to-day. Her children are 
thronging back to the old home. Her neighbors have 
flocked together from all the country round. A noble 
company of guests from beyond the water has come to 
grace her jubilee. 

Alma Mater has reached a grand climacteric. She 
has garnered the fruitage of one hundred and fifty 
years. Her hand touches the shining goal toward 
which her patient steps have long been pressing. Gar- 
landed with wefl-won laurels, she girds herself for wider 
fields of toil. But scholastic honors are of little worth 
when severed from human sympathies. She therefore 
hails with peculiar delight this gathering together of her 
sons and her companions, whose presence exalts her in- 
vestiture with academic dignity into a coronation of af- 
fection. 

Alma Mater welcomes " her boys." They come to 
her to-day from every compass point. They come 
freighted with cares, scarred with the conflicts of life, 
crowned with success, burdened with reverse, silvered 
with the frosts of winter, but always " her boys." If, 
as they gather around her, the emotion of their hearts 



66 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

could be interpreted in speech, they fain would say: 
"Alma Mater, well-beloved mother, dear art thou to us, 
though thine attire be never so quiet and sober ; thy 
virtues all unheralded among men ; thine achievements 
bounded by the humblest sphere. We are glad when 
we see thee put on thy beautiful garments. We re- 
joice in thy widening renown. We exult as the voices 
of the world take up thy praise — but love thee more, 
we cannot." 

The College of New Jersey welcomes that guild of 
literary craftsmen, in whose comradeship she has striven 
for the welfare of our beloved land. Few American 
academies had opened their doors when Princeton was 
born. This institution was the child of those stalwart 
pioneers of truth who must have a place of study, even 
if it was built of logs, and who knew how to create a 
university in a forest clearing. From the meridian of 
Plymouth Rock, and from the bank of Neshaminy 
Creek, came the influences that generated Princeton. 
The Puritanism of New England and the Scotch-Irish- 
ism of the middle colonies blended in her life. Harvard 
furnished one of the most influential founders. Yale 
contributed the three earliest of her presidents. The 
Tennents inbreathed the institution with their flaming 
ardor for the truth. 

This handful of schools set to themselves a brave 
mission. Before this land was measured, while its 
settlers lingered within the sound of the sea, its forests 
all untravelled, its rivers unmapped, its fields unfurrowed, 
they conspired to rear a citizenship which could worthily 
wield the scepter of such a sovereignty. They knew 
that knowledge fed patriotism ; that ignorance was the 
owlish foster-mother of public dishonor; that anarchy 
cannot live in the light; that civic hate never kindled 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 67 

its incendiary torch at wisdom's altar-fires. Right well 
did those old-time school-houses deserve to be called 
" the Martello towers on the coast-line of our civiliza- 
tion." It is a glad omen to behold this auspicious rep- 
resentation of America's academic force, an armament 
of truth which ultimately must possess the continent. 
It is a peculiar privilege to salute the delegates of such a 
brilliant constellation of institutions, established in busy 
metropolitan centres ; lifting their cupolas above the 
roofs of quiet country towns; anchored on the seaboard, 
nestling against the hillside, reposing by the lake shore, 
or studding the imperial prairie land of the West ; bear- 
ing the titles of historic commonwealths, or standing as 
the enduring and beneficent memorials of individual de- 
votion to the truth ; but all baptized with the spirit of 
antagonism to the forces which slink and burrow ; all 
banded together by the stress of a supreme endeavor for 
the uplifting of humanity. 

Nassau Hall extends an especial warmth of welcome 
to the illustrious men of letters from the Old World 
seats of learning, who have rendered this moment 
memorable by their coming hitherward. Princeton was 
at the beginning a colonial school, but it has always 
been infected with a cosmopolitan spirit. Columbus 
discovered this new world, but Joseph Henry of Prince- 
ton discovered the method of binding worlds together. 
Our heraldry carries a blazon of European loyalty. 
The name of " Nassau " unites us to the British throne, 
and allies us with the champions of European liberty. 
We wear the colors before which the arms of mediaeval 
tyranny went backward, and the spirit of feudalism was 
exorcised from Great Britain. The ocean has not in- 
sulated this institution. The Atlantic has not been a 
barrier, but a highway. The Princeton theology has 



liHil 



68 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

never held it to be an infraction of the eighth command- 
ment to steal the good and the great wherever found. 
Once and again she has recruited her teaching with 
transatlantic thinkers. Alone among American univer- 
sities she has crossed the sea for her presidents. Twice 
she has summoned to her leadership the sons of that 
land where the granite is clothed with the heather, 
where strength is wedded with beauty. You have 
journeyed hitherward over a path plowed by the keels 
of Princeton's treasure-ships. You come to us, not as 
aliens, but as allies, as kinsfolk, to add a bond tender 
and undying to the friendships which already bind this 
institution to those venerable haunts of learning which 
are beyond the sea. 

We bid you welcome in the name of an honored 
past. In ancient Athens the Parthenon crested the 
Acropolis. The sanctuary of wisdom glorified the hill 
which was sacred to the divinity of war. In like manner 
Nassau Hall stands upon a battle-field. Its site marks 
a pivotal spot in the struggle for our national existence. 
Its culture was a prime factor in the formation of our 
nation's Hfe. 

The American revolution was not a spasm of blind 
unreason. It was a war of eternal principles. It enlisted 
men of thought, the children of the noblest era of Eng- 
lish letters, the inheritors of the literary wealth of Eu- 
rope. The academy became the recruiting-station for 
the Continental Army. The munitions of war were 
obtained from the arsenals of truth. There was logic, 
as well as powder, behind the bullets. The bayonets 
thought. The ideas by which the Mayflower was 
motored marched to victory at Yorktown. American 
independence is the fruit of a ripe intelligence. 

Princeton was a veritable Gibraltar of Americanism. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 69 

From the moment that the hum of freedom's fight ran 
through the land, Princeton throbbed with patriotism. 
Gowned in black, her students burned the papers that 
hinted compromise with tyranny. They repeated the 
Boston Tea Party upon the front campus. They wore 
only American cloth. "We learn patriotism as well as 
Greek," declared one of their number. They graduated 
the secretary of the Mecklenburg Convention. Their 
president sat in the Continental Congress. His impas- 
sioned earnestness forced the passage of the Declaration 
of Independence. The crucial struggle of the Revo- 
lution left its imprint upon the wall of Old North. The 
college chapel became the meeting-place of Congress. 
Washington was present at its commencements, and 
enrolled his foster son among its students, and issued 
his farewell to the army within its shadow. The sign- 
ing of the treaty of peace at Versailles was proclaimed 
within its prayer hall in the presence of a brilliant assem- 
bly of diplomats. The simple facts of the college annals 
seem tinged with romance. Cold statistics glow with 
rhetoric. Suffice it to say that in every instance where 
scholarship ministers to the dignity and the prosperity 
of the State ; in the conventions which framed laws for 
the land ; upon the field of battle where its honor was 
maintained ; in foreign courts and home cabinets ; on 
the bench and in the pulpit ; in the chair of the president 
of the Senate, and in the home of the President of the 
nation, the sons of Old Nassau have uplifted the " Orange 
and the Black." 

This potency of Princeton is but an exponent of the 
personal influence of her leaders. It has been her happy 
lot to enjoy the guardianship of a company of great 
teachers, who, as Lowell has truly said, " are as rare as 
great poets." Dickinson and Burr were courtly, schol- 



70 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

arly, masterful, and only less princely in thought than 
Edwards. Jonathan Edwards, whose imposing figure 
moves across a weird background of Indian haunted for- 
est, w^ore the mantle of Plato in this modern world. 
Davies, the builder of Old North, was a latter-day Chry- 
sostom. Finley possessed a classic culture which won 
academic recognition from beyond the Atlantic. With- 
erspoon was a reincarnation of John Knox, whose blood 
tingled in his veins. He recognized no kingship by di- 
vine right except the royalty of humanity. His scholas- 
tic attainments warranted the christening of his residence 
with the name of Cicero's country-seat. His patriotic 
zeal made the forum ring with accents like those which 
in the olden time "shook the arsenal, and fulmined over 
Greece." His teaching power reduplicated his person- 
ality almost beyond parallel. Of Stanhope Smith, Wash- 
ington wrote : " There is no college whose president is 
thought to be more capable to direct a proper system 
of education than Dr. Smith." Greene and Carnahan 
led the American universities in the introduction of 
chemistry as a distinct branch of undergraduate study. 
MacLean, who wore so well the name of the beloved 
disciple, was scholar enough to teach the entire curri- 
culum, was publicist enough to create the pubHc-school 
system of his State, and possessed the high distinction 
of having never rebuked a student without making a 
friend. McCosh was our Augustus, who found Prince- 
ton brick, and left it marble. Departed from earth, he 
is still enshrined within the sanctuary of many a pupil's 
heart. He was a far-sighted, deep-thoughted, tender- 
hearted man. Well did he voice the emotions of his 
great compeers, when with wistful pen he wrote as the 
time of his departure drew nigh: " If I were permitted 
to come back from the other world to this, I would visit 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 71 

these scenes so dear to me, that I might once more see 
the tribes go up to the house of God in companies." 

Verily, if the spirits of those who have entered into 
the better country share in the emotions of those who 
tarry amid the vicissitude of earth, this great "choir 
invisible " hail with joy this auspicious hour. Their 
prayers pointed hitherward, and their unflinching sac- 
rifice and undaunted toil smoothed the upward path to 
this moment of eminence. They all died in the faith 
of old Nassau's coming glory. Their unseen presence 
hallows this moment in which their vision becomes real- 
ity. The voices of the mighty dead salute you! 

We welcome you in the name of an inspiring future. 
One of the most striking incidents of academic story oc- 
curred at the celebration of Lord Kelvin's distinguished 
service in the cause of truth. He had forced so many 
problems to solution, had lifted the shadow from so 
many mysteries, had provided the civilizing energies 
of the earth with such varied and invincible equipment, 
that a notable company gathered to do him honor. He 
met their congratulations with the significant statement : 
" Were I at this moment to sum up my life, it would 
be in the single word — failure." But the time shall 
come when that sad note of conscious defeat shall be 
echoed with a victorious " Eureka." The world's intel- 
lect is sweeping toward the light. The "open secret" 
of nature shall be mastered. The hieroglyphics of crea- 
tion shall at length be deciphered. The veil of Isis shall 
at last be uplifted from the hidden and benignant face. 

The modern impulse toward this sublime event began 
when the world beheld gleaming behind the Alps : 

" The glory that was Greece 
And the grandeur that was Rome." 



72 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

A thirst for knowledge smote humanity. A great 
longing for a vision of the truth filled all hearts with 
sleepless desire. An enthusiasm to know the reason of 
things took possession of the European world. The Oc- 
cident embarked in a crusade of thought. Schools sup- 
planted palaces as seats of power. The aristocracy of 
birth found a new patent of nobility in learning. The 
crown jewels of the nations became the universities. 
The glory of Italy was Bologna, with one starry word 
as her motto, " Libertas." The kingliest achievement 
of Charlemagne was the creation of the common school 
which taught Paris how to become the intellectual mis- 
tress of the earth. The old German schoolmasters 
strung the Teutonic character with so true a fibre, and 
infused the Teutonic spirit with such an indomitable love 
for Fatherland, that Napoleon feared the universities 
more than the Prussian bayonets. Where the soil of 
Holland was drenched with the life-blood of her sons, 
whose triumphant love of liberty was stronger than death, 
arose the academic halls of Leyden. Our Saxon Alfred 
vindicated his right to be called the Great, by laying the 
corner-stone of the British universities, which, " steeped 
in sentiment, spreading their gardens to the moonlight, 
and whispering from their towers the last enchantments 
of the Middle Age, keep ever calling us nearer to the 
goal." Like a company of godfathers, bearing gifts, 
the sons of these great centres of civilizing progress 
stand to-day by the cradle-side of Princeton University. 
Into her new life they pour their distinctive benefactions. 
From Italy, the native land of Dante and of Angelo, 
comes the intuition of that beauty which ever lies at 
the heart of truth. France imparts the intrepid spirit of 
experiment and discovery. Germany brings the genius 
for original and sound research. Great Britain bestows 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 73 

that relish for the classics, that reverence for ethics, that 
instinct for metaphysics, which are the roots of all gen- 
erous and enduring culture. From the combination of 
such primal elements will Princeton seek to develop her 
distinctive academic life. The Princeton idea of a uni- 
versity came to definition, in connection with two of 
its early presidents. Edwards said of himself, " If I 
think of an unsolved theorem I will immediately try 
to solve it." Of Burr, Benjamin Franklin said, "He 
was a great scholar, but a very great man." To press 
fearlessly toward the heart of every mystery, and to 
raise manhood to its highest terms by the development 
of great scholarship, is the exact impulse which is carry- 
ing the college over into the broader field of university 
work. The school-house is made for man, and not 
man for the school-house. There is more in the mystery 
of existence than the bread-and-butter problem. Intel- 
lect is not an instrument for making a living, but for 
the making of life. Culture is not for the sake of 
wealth, but of the commonwealth. The university ex- 
ists to train thinkers who can grasp, and state, and 
help to solve the great problems of human life ; who 
can liberate those subtle and potent energies which ex- 
tinguish disorder, stamp out the seeds of crime, and 
create better citizens, nobler characters, and more God- 
like men. 

We welcome you in the supreme name of Him who 
is the fountain of all truth, and the goal of all thought, 
whose honor is the scholar's inspiration, and whose 
smile is the student's reward — the name of the "Only 
Wise God." When William of Orange entered the 
lists in behalf of human liberty, he was asked, "Have 
you arranged an alliance with any of the great powers 
who will sustain you in the event of reverse?" "Before 



Y4 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

I unsheathed my sword," was the royal reply, "I en- 
tered into covenant allegiance with the God of battles." 
Our founders were worthy princes of the house of 
Nassau. They burned to enrich their country with a 
dower of educated citizenship. They aspired to exalt 
their church with a ministry of liberal and able scholar- 
ship. But they were environed with difficulties as vast 
and as dark as the forests which skirted their dwelling. 
Their numbers were few. Their dollars were fewer. 
Sympathy with high ideals is never easy to evoke. But 
they were not resourceless. They were men of God. 
Before they gave themselves to their heroic adventure, 
they entered into covenant with Jehovah of Hosts. He 
was their strength and their shield. Their academy was 
founded in his name. The college was prayed into 
existence. Its cradle was rocked in a church synod. 
Its youth grew strong in an atmosphere tonic with 
faith. It has become clothed with strength, and beauty, 
and victory, beneath the smile of heaven. 

The founders are imagined as intolerant. They were 
intolerant of littleness. They were stern set against 
superstition. They loved nothing so much as truth. 
They feared nothing at all but half-truths. They con- 
centrated their lives upon the intense effort to save 
piety from deformity, to wed faith with intellectuality, 
to crown Christian character with the diadem of a liberal 
culture. The founders are imagined as narrow. They 
were narrow enough not to perceive any conflict be- 
tween faith and science. They assumed that he who 
knew God best would best understand the works of 
God; that the child was the truest interpreter of the 
father. They were narrow enough to count as of very 
little worth any culture that issued in universal doubt. 
Their lives were narrowed into the conviction of the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 75 

absolute certainty of some things ; and they became 
bond-slaves of the elemental principles of human no- 
bility. They made the charter of Princeton the Magna 
Charta of religious liberty in the academic life of Amer- 
ica. In 1746 they wrote above the portals of their 
college this legend: "That no person shall be debarred 
of any of the privileges of the said college on account 
of any speculative principles of religion; but those of 
every religious profession shall have equal privilege and 
advantage of education in said college." This trumpet- 
note reverberated throughout the land. Bancroft said : 
"It was from Witherspoon of New Jersey that Madison 
imbibed the lesson of perfect freedom in matters of 
conscience." 

Upon this deep, broad rock-bed of faith and freedom 
the university was founded. In the same catholic spirit 
it has been builded. Its heraldic motto is " Dei sub 
numine viget." Its official seal is blazoned with an 
open Bible. Edwards projected as part of his Prince- 
ton work a mighty " History of Redemption," which 
should combine, in one stupendous literary product, the 
ideas of Augustine's "City of God," Dante's "Corn- 
media," and the Paradise epics of Milton. Wither- 
spoon struck the key-note of his phenomenal adminis- 
tration when he announced the theme of his inaugural 
as "The Union of Piety and Science." Joseph Henry, 
distinguished alike for ability and modesty, as was 
Newton, whose brilliant successor honors this cere- 
monial with his presence, habitually introduced his la- 
boratory work by saying, "Young gentlemen, we are 
about to ask God a question." Guyot devoted his rare 
power of observation, and his marvellous stores of ac- 
quisition, to displaying the harmony between the physi- 
cal and the scriptural — "Story of the Earth and Man." 



76 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Stephen Alexander defined laws of nature as " Methods 
according to which God ordinarily chooses to act." 
The last time that McCosh stood in the chapel pulpit, 
he opened the book to a favorite passage, the prose 
poem of Paul concerning " Charity." As he reached 
the sentence, "We know in part," he paused. With 
the light of the unclouded land already brightening his 
noble face, he condensed his entire philosophy into a 
single characteristic declaration, " We know in part — 
but we know!'' When he who now wears with such 
ability and dignity the mantle of Princeton's president, 
whose brain of light and heart of fire, whose piercing 
intuition of the truth, whose ardent, progressive, untir- 
ing, inspiring devotion to the welfare of the university 
are Princeton's pride, was inducted into office, he inter- 
preted in memorable phrase the religious genius of the 
institution. Says President Patton in his inaugural : 
" We do not mean to extinguish the torch of science 
that we may sit in religious moonlight, and we do not 
intend to send our religion up to the biological library 
for examination and approval. We shall not be afraid 
to open our eyes in the presence of nature, nor ashamed 
to close them in the presence of God." This stately 
hall in which we are assembled is an eloquent and 
monumental tribute to a resplendent line of Princeton's 
intehectual nobility, the lustre of whose learning was 
heightened by the glow of a lofty and unshaken faith. 

Some problems are settled at Princeton. Some issues 
are not open to debate beneath its elms. Its philosophy 
is rooted in the glory of God and the immortality of 
man. God is postulated; and the divine spark in human 
clay is assumed. Conscience underlies the curriculum. 
Eternity is in view from the class-room. We seek the 
truth, but we believe that Christ is the most exalted 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 77 

revelation of the truth. The brightest rays of earthly 
learning are only " broken lights of Him." 

" Dei sub numine viget." The motto of the college 
becomes the watchword of the university. It is historic. 
It is prophetic. It explains the past. It ensures the fu- 
ture. It condenses the chronicle of a century and a half 
into a sentence. It sweeps the expanding horizon of 
the future with a stroke of the pen. "Dei sub numine 
viget." Dei sub Jtwtnine vigebit. He who has led the 
wilderness march in triumph will invest the conquest 
of the promised land with glory. In His Great Name, 
Princeton salutes her guests. Sursum cordal 

Let knowledge grow from more to more, 
But more of reverence with it dwell ; 
That mind and soul, according well, 

May make one music as before, 

But vaster. 

At the conclusion of this address of welcome there was 
music by the orchestra, after which President Eliot, of Har- 
vard University, read the following response on behalf of 
the universities and learned societies of America : 

In ^obedience to the summons of your Sesquicentennial 
Committee, it is my high privilege, as the head of the 
oldest American university, to present to the President, 
Trustees, and Faculty of Princeton University, on this 
auspicious occasion, the hearty congratulations of the 
universities and learned societies of the United States. 
The universities and learned societies of the United 
States congratulate Princeton University on the rela- 
tions of mutual support and affection in which she has 
always stood with that great religious denomination, the 



78 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Presbyterian Church — a church which has rendered in- 
valuable service to the cause of civil liberty as well as 
of religious independence. They rejoice that this rela- 
tionship is firm and close to-day, and that Princeton 
University maintains from year to year its habitual 
contribution to the ministry of that powerful church ; 
but they also felicitate the University that it was ex- 
pressly provided in the charter of 1748 that no person 
of any religious denomination whatever should be ex- 
cluded from any of the liberties, privileges, or immu- 
nities of the college on account of his being of a 
religious profession different from that of the trustees 
of the college. 

They appreciate as a valuable force in the political 
and religious history of the country the conservative 
spirit of Princeton University. 

They share the pride and satisfaction with which the 
graduates of Princeton remember the contributions of 
the college to the membership of the Continental Con- 
gress and to the public service of the United States — 
contributions illustrated by such names as Joseph Reed, 
John Witherspoon, Oliver Ellsworth, Edward Living- 
ston, and James Madison. 

They remember with gratitude the services to the 
profession of medicine which that distinguished Prince- 
ton graduate, the patriot Benjamin Rush, rendered in 
the early days of medical instruction in America. 

They look back with respectful interest to the pioneer 
work in American history done by David Ramsay, sur- 
geon in the Continental army, in his writings on the 
history of the American Revolution ; and they see in 
him a worthy predecessor of the brilliant historical 
writers whose names now adorn the rolls of Princeton 
University. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 79 

The scientific societies of the country venerate the 
mental power, philosophic insight, and noble character 
of Joseph Henry, long a teacher in this University, 
and declare that no worthier name is written in the an- 
nals of American science. 

Universities and societies alike rejoice that to the 
study of dialectics and systematic theology, long estab- 
lished here, there was added in later times a school of 
modern philosophy of wide and liberalizing influence. 
They have seen with satisfaction that to the ancient 
College of New Jersey was added, twenty-three years 
ago, a school of natural science, which soon enlisted a 
strong corps of vigorous and inspiring teachers and a 
large body of enthusiastic students. The learned soci- 
eties of the United States especially rejoice in this 
broadening of the work of the University, and these 
great enrichments of its instruction, apparatus, and 
means of influence. 

They see with peculiar satisfaction that the College 
of New Jersey, like other old American colleges, has 
conferred priceless benefits on the country by educating, 
through successive generations, families capable of emi- 
nent public service — families which have won not only 
local, but national repute. It is enough to mention as 
illustrations the names of Alexander, Bayard, Dayton, 
Frelinghuysen, Green, Hodge, Sloan, and Stockton. 
The American colleges have rendered no greater ser- 
vice to the nation than this of giving good training for 
business, professional, or public life to successive gen- 
erations from sound family stocks. 

Finally, the American universities and learned soci- 
eties congratulate Princeton University on its habitual 
inculcation of patriotism and public spirit. The resort 
to Princeton, though naturally in chief part derived from 



80 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the neighboring States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 
and New York, has been in early and in later times 
of a national breadth. Princeton has thus promoted 
the unity of the country, and strengthened the bands 
which bind together the federated States. 

The universities and learned societies of the United 
States observe within recent years many signs of the 
rise, among the American institutions of learning, of a 
spirit of sympathy and cooperation unknown before. 
Institutions which once felt widely separated by dis- 
tance, by different denominational affiliations, or by di- 
versities of political and social environment, now feel 
themselves to be close kindred by nature, near neigh- 
bors in spirit, and united in the common pursuit of the 
same lofty ends. With one accord the American uni- 
versities and learned societies, if they were all repre- 
sented here, would express the ardent wish that, as the 
centuries pass, the name and fame of Princeton may 
mount higher and higher, and her continuous services 
to freedom, learning, and religion be gratefully accepted 
and recorded by the American people. 

This dignified address by the President of Harvard Uni- 
versity was received with hearty applause. And when the 
applause had subsided, it broke out afresh upon the appear- 
ance, at the front of the platform, of Professor Joseph John 
Thomson of the University of Cambridge, England, who, 
in behalf of the delegates from the European universities, 
spoke as follows : 

I rise to offer to Princeton University on behalf of the uni- 
versities and societies of Europe a hearty congratulation. 
When asked to undertake this duty I felt that the com- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 81 

pliment paid to the part that Cambridge University had 
taken in the estabhshment of the system of universities 
in this country was so great that I could not refuse con- 
sent. The compHment was all the greater because in 
choosing me you have disregarded every consideration 
of personal fitness or distinction. 

There are no men more honored of Cambridge than 
those men of Emmanuel College who started the greatest 
scheme of university extension the world has ever seen 
or will see. And although Cambridge cannot pride 
itself on being so closely connected with Princeton as 
with another university, yet there is something about 
Princeton that reminds them of their university. I was 
told long ago by Cambridge men that they never felt 
more at home than when they were at Princeton. I, 
since I have been here, have felt that feeling myself 
strongly. Princeton, like Cambridge, is a university 
remote from large cities and manufactories, and a cam- 
pus with long vistas. 

The labors of Princeton men during the last one hun- 
dred and fifty years command the gratitude and consid- 
eration of every university and scientific society. There 
is no university but part of whose teaching is due to the 
labors of Princeton men. To the historian, the lawyer, 
the politician, and the man of science, Princeton is classic 
ground. It appears that political events took place here 
of incalculable importance to this country, and which an 
Englishman can now heartily acknowledge were settled 
in the way to best promote the peace, happiness, and 
prosperity of the world. May they forever attain the 
distinction of being the last occasion on which there is 
any issue between these two great countries. 

No man of science can forget that Princeton shares 
with the Royal Institution of London the honor of being 



82 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the seat of the greatest discoveries, very important in 
electricity. It was here that Young discovered the phe- 
nomena of electrical vibration, although its importance 
was not appreciated until it had been rediscovered a 
few years ago. To Princeton belongs the honor of es- 
tabhshing the first chemical laboratory in this country ; 
and that great discoverer and philosopher, Guyot, has 
engraved the name of Princeton upon this planet. But 
to be connected to this planet alone has not been enough 
for Princeton. The researches of Professor Young on 
the sun have caused the name of Princeton to be forever 
associated with the very centre of the solar system. 

But great as has been the contribution of Princeton to 
science and learning, there is the more important fact 
that this university has, year after year, for one hundred 
and fifty years, sent out into the country a body of men 
highly trained, and who have acquired by residence in 
this university that keen sense of personal honor, that 
fairness of mind which makes them capable of rendering 
invaluable service to this country at a critical stage in 
the history of this country, and they have been render- 
ing valuable service ever since. As your President said 
this morning, it is not the exceptional men of science that 
are the real test of the work of this university. 

There is no factor in this influence that so makes for 
good as the existence of a fine university tradition. 
That each university must make for itself. It cannot 
receive it even from the most generous benefactor. It 
must be got by the great deeds, great discoveries and 
self-sacrifice of its graduates. These are rare things 
and accumulate but slowly ; but Princeton has managed 
to acquire them. But it is because of the possession of 
this tradition, as well as the intellectual and scientific 
achievements of Princeton, that on behalf of the univer- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 8S 

sities and other societies of Europe I offer you their 
warmest congratulations. 



After Professor Thomson's reply, which aroused great 
enthusiasm, the orchestra played a selection, and Mr. Green, 
then rising, read a list, which was as yet only partly 
complete, of the institutions and societies which had sent 
congratulatory addresses to Princeton University. As sup- 
plemented a few days later, it was as follows : 



American. 

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Massachusetts. 

Amherst College ..... Massachusetts. 

Brown University ..... Rhode Island. 

University of California ..... California. 

Carleton College ...... Minnesota. 

Catholic University of America . . .Washington, D. C. 
University of Chicago ...... Illinois. 

University of Chicago (The Academical Council) . Illinois. 
Collegeof the City of New York . New York. 

Clark University Massachusetts. 

University of Colorado Colorado. 

Columbia Theological Seminary South Carolina. 

Columbia University ...... New York. 

Cornell University ...... New York. 

Cornell University (The Faculty) . New York. 

Dartmouth College .... New Hampshire. 

University of Denver ..... Colorado. 

University of Georgia Georgia. 



84 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Georgetown University .... Georgetown, D. C. 

Hampden-Sidney College Virginia. 

Harvard University Massachusetts. 

Harvard University (The President and Fellows) . Mass. 

Haverford College Pennsylvania. 

Hobart College JVew York. 

The Johns Hopkins University . . . Maryland. 

Knox College Illinois. 

Lafayette College Pennsylvania. 

Lake Forest University ..... Illinois. 
Lick Observatory . . . • . California. 

McCormick Theological Seminary . . Illinois. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Massachusetts. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (The Faculty) Mass. 

University of Missouri Missouri. 

University of Nebraska .... Nebraska. 

New York University New York. 

Northwestern University IlU^iois. 

University of Pennsylvania . . Pennsylvania. 

Pennsylvania College ..... Pennsylvania. 
Princeton Theological Seminary . . New Jersey. 

Rutgers College New Jersey. 

Southwestern Presbyterian University . Tennessee. 

Swarthmore College .... Pennsylvania. 

Syracuse University New York. 

University of Texas ..... Texas. 

Trinity College ..... Comiecticut. 

Union University . . . . . New York. 

United States Military Academy . New York. 

United States Naval Academy .... Maryland. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



85 



Vanderbilt University .... Tennessee. 

University of Vermont ..... Vermont. 
University of Virginia ..... Virgmia. 

Washington University ..... Missouri. 
Washington and Lee University . . . Virginia. 

Western Reserve University ..... Ohio. 
Western University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania. 

WiiHams College ..... Massachusetts. 
University of Wisconsin .... Wisconsin. 

Wittenberg College Ohio. 

Yale University . .... Connecticut. 

Yale University (The Corporation) . . Connecticut. 

Canadian. 



Dalhousie University 
McGill University 
Queen's College and University 
University of Toronto 



Halifax. 

Montreal. 

Kingston. 

Toronto. 



European. 



University of Aberdeen 
University of Amsterdam 
University of Athens 
University of Basle 
University of Berlin 
University of Berne 
University of Bologna 
University of Bonn 



Scotland. 

. Holland. 

. Greece. 

Switzerland. 

Germany. 

Switzerland. 

Italy. 

Germany. 



86 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



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Univers: 
Univers: 
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Univers: 
Univers] 
Universi 
Universi 
Universi 
Univers: 
Universi 
Universi 
Univers: 
Universi 
Universi 
Univers 
Univers: 
Universi 



ty of Brussels 
ty of Budapest 
ty of Cambridge 
ty of Christiania 
ty of Copenhagen 
ty of Dublin 
ty of Edinburgh 
ty of Glasgow 
ty of Gottingen . 
ty of Greifswald 
ty of Halle 
ty of Heidelberg 
ty of Jena . 
ty of Kiel 
ty of Konigsberg 
ty of Leipzig 
ty of Leyden 
ty of Lille 
ty of London 
ty of Moscow 
ty of Munich 
ty of Oxford . 



Owens College 



Universi 
Universi 
Universi 
Queen's 
Universi 
Universi 



ty of Padua 
ty of Paris 
ty of Prague 
College 
ty of Rome 
ty of Rostock 



Belgium. 
Hungary. 
England. 

Norway. 

Denmark. 

Ireland. 

Scotland. 

Scotland. 
Germany. 
Germany. 
Germany. 



Royal Prussian Academy 



Germany- 
Germany. 
Germany. 
Germany. 
Holland. 

France. 
England. 

Russia. 
Germany. 
England. 
England. 

. Italy. 

France. 
A ustria. 

Ireland. 

Italy. 

Germany. 

Germany. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Royal Society 
University of 
University of 
University of 
University of 
University of 
University of 
University of 
University of 



St. Andrews 
St. Petersburg 
Salamanca . 
Strassburg 
Tubingen 
Upsala 
Utrecht 
Zurich . 



87 

England. 

Scotland. 

Russia. 

. Spain. 



Germany. 

Sweden. 

Holland. 

Switzerland. 



From other Countries. 



University of Melbourne 
Syrian Protestant College . 
University of Tokio 



Australia. 
Syria. 
Japan. 



The chairman then announced that the exercises were at 
an end, but invited the delegates and the Princeton trus- 
tees and faculty to meet immediately in the Chancellor 
Green Library and be presented to one another. Accord- 
ingly, the long procession of delegates streamed eastward 
over the lawns, and there was much hand-shaking, though 
necessarily but little conversation, in the rotunda of the 
library, where there was barely room to stand. Here were 
displayed most of the congratulatory addresses from uni- 
versities, colleges, and learned societies — a brilliant collec- 
tion of beautifully executed letters, most of them in Latin 
and on parchment, and many of them adorned with gor- 
geous hand illuminations in mediaeval style. 

There was also an exhibition, in the Trustees' Room, of a 
collection of documents and relics connected with the origin 



88 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

and history of the old College of New Jersey, together with 
a collection of Princetoniana, which, for want of space, did 
not include, however, the Pyne-Henry collection of some 
six hundred autographs and documents, the Libbey collec- 
tion of several hundred books and pamphlets, and the grow- 
ing McAlpin collection. There were displayed : 



1. The New York Post Boy, No. 213, Feb. 16, 1746-7, containing 

an announcement of the granting of the first charter, Oct. 22, 
1746. Libbey Collection. 

2. The Charter of 1748, original document. College Archives. 

3. The first minutes of the trustees, 1748. College Archives. 

4. The watch of Vice-President Burr. 

5. A cane from wood of the Log College. Presented by the Rev. 

F. Beck Harbaugh. 

6. *The Sesquicentennial Memorial Medal, in gold. Morgan Col- 

lection. 

7. Davies' and Tennent's General Account of the College of New 

Jersey. First edition, quarto, 8 pp.. New York, 1752. 
Loaned by William R. Weeks, Esq. 

8. Davies' and Tennent's General Account of the College of New 

Jersey. Second edition, folio, 8 pp., London, 1754. [Facsim- 
ile.] Loaned by William R. Weeks, Esq. 

9. Davies' and Tennent's General Account of the College of New 

Jersey. Third edition, folio, 8 pp., Edinburgh, 1754. Loaned 
by William R. Weeks, Esq. 

* The medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Shields Clark, '82. It is three inches in 
diameter. On its face is a representation of Nassau Hall, standing amid the elms of 
the campus, and below is the legend Avla Nassovica, MDCCCXCVI. On the 
back is the inscription (in Augustan capitals), qvod antea fvit collegivm neo- 

CAESARIENSE NVNC ANNIS CL IMPLETIS VNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS SAECVLVM SPEC- 
TAT NovvM. Above this, in smaller letters in a Roman bracket, is the oldest motto 
of Princeton — dei svb nvmine viget. The medal was struck at the United States 
mint in Philadelphia. The issue consists of one copy in gold, thirty in silver, and five 
hundred in bronze. There are also two proof copies in bronze. 




yttib 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 89 

10. Davies' and Tennent's General Account of the College of New 

Jersey. Fourth edition, small octavo, i6 pp., Edinburgh, i 754. 
Loaned by William R. Weeks, Esq. 

11. Petition of Gilbert Tennent and Samuel Davies in the name of 

the College. The edition of 1752, both Edinburgh editions, 
and the petition are original copies, and in each case the only 
copies known. No. 8 is a facsimile of the only known copy, 
which is in the British Museum. 

12. Diary of President Davies, 1753-54. This is a record of the 

trip for which the General Account was prepared. 

13. Blair's Account of the College of New Jersey. Woodbridge, 

New Jersey, 1764. 

14. Witherspoon's Address in Behalf of the College of New Jersey. 

15. Green's Address of the Trustees of the College of New Jersey. 

16. Jonathan Edwards' Bible with his autograph. Presented by 

the Rev. W. H. Prestley. 

17. President Burr's Account-book. Open at account with Jonathan 

Edwards. 

18. President Burr's Manuscript Sermons. Presented by Mrs. 

Eli Whitney. 

19. Library Catalogue, 1760. Scribner Collection. 

20. The Military Glory of Great Britain, a commencement exercise, 

1762. 

21. A Poem on the Rising Glory of America, a commencement ex- 

ercise, 1 77 1. 

22. Wansey's Journal, extra illustrated. Open at account of 

Princeton as it was in 1794. McAlpin Collection. 

23. Belcher's Commission as Governor. 

24. Autograph Letter of Governor Belcher. 

25. Autograph of Governor Belcher in a book given by him to the 

library. 

26. President Burr's Sermon at the Interment of Governor Belcher. 

27. Autographs of President Dickinson, President Burr, President 

Davies, President Finley, President Witherspoon, President 
Smith, President Green, President Carnahan, President Mc- 
Cosh. Pyne-Henry Collection. 



90 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

28. Consent of New York Trustees to locate the College at Prince- 

ton. Pyne-Henry Collection. 

29. Accounts of Samuel Hazard, 1751. 

30. Record of the sale of a negro to President Burr. 

31. Scheme of a Lottery for the College, 1763. 

32. Subscription List, 1802. 

33. Petition of Trustees to the General Assembly, 1779. 

34. Petition of Trustees to Freeholders. 

35. Bill for lumber, 1764. 

36. Bill for Trustee Dinner, 1771. 

2)']. Autographs of Benjamin Rush, 1760; Richard Rush, 1797; John 
Beatty, 1769; Elias Boudinot, Richard Stockton, 1748; Oliver 
Ellsworth, 1766; James Caldwell ("the Rebel High-priest"), 
1759; Henry Lee ("Light-Horse Harry"), 1772. 

38. President James Madison's Diploma as LL.D. 

39. Deed signed by Presidents Madison and Monroe. 

40. Autograph Letter of President Madison announcing the delivery 

of Louisiana to the United States. 

41. Autograph of Vice-President Burr. 

42. Receipt for Burr's board and washing. 

43. Autograph Letter of Vice-President Dallas. 

Nos. 29 to 43 belong to the Pyne-Henry Collection. 

44. Old Diplomas. Libbey Collection. 

45. Diploma of George Dufifield, 1752, Chaplain of the Continental 

Congress. Presented by George Duffield, M.D., of Detroit. 

46. Triennial Catalogue, 1773. Libbey Collection. 

47. Broadside Catalogue, 1805. Libbey Collection. 

48. Commencement Programme, 1 760. Libbey Collection. 

49. Nassau Hall as it was in 1760. Libbey Collection. 

50. Portrait of Henry Lee ("Light-Horse Harry"), 1773. Pyne- 

Henry Collection. 

51. Views of the proposed library building, the west front, the 

quadrangle, the tower. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 91 

52. Autograph of William of Nassau, in whose honor Nassau Hall 

was named. Pyne-Henry Collection. 

53. Autograph of George II., under whom the charter was received. 

54. Some official publications and periodicals, edited in whole or in 

part by members of the university. 



Long before nine o'clock on the evening of the first day, 
Alexander Hall began to fill again, this time with an audi- 
ence more generally composed of ladies than in the morning 
or afternoon. When Mr. Walter Damrosch tapped for si- 
lence, the auditorium was completely occupied in every part, 
hundreds being obliged to stand in the aisles and back of 
the seats in the gallery. 



The programme was as foil 



[lows : 



I. Jubilee ©vertiire weber 

II. 'QnfinlSbe& S^mpbOn^ .... Schubert 

a. Allegro Moderato 

b. Andante con moto 

III. MalMveben Wagner 



INTERMISSION 

IV. Hca&emic jfestival ©verture . Brahms 

(Composed for the Festival of the University of Breslau) 

V. (Barotte tor Strings bach 



VI. poeme S^mpbOnique, "Le Rouet d'Omphale" 

Saint-Saens 

VII. /iBarcbe Solennelle • . . Tschaikowsky 

Mr. WALTER DAMROSCH, Conductor 



92 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

When, in Weber's Jubilee Overture, the broad strains of 
the national anthem emerged from the climax of complicated 
harmonies, the audience rose by a common and spontaneous 
impulse. It was generally remarked that the programme 
was happily arranged to produce a cumulative effect, and 
the march by Tschaikowsky was a grand and appropriate 
conclusion. 



The Second Day. 

Wednesday, the second day, was devoted to the alumni 
and students, in the sense that the delegates were allowed 
to rest somewhat from the fatigues of Tuesday, and further- 
more because it terminated in the great torchlight procession 
in which Princeton men were almost the only element. But 
it might as fittingly have been called the day devoted to lit- 
erature, for the most memorable of its events were the Ora- 
tion and the Poem, both, to be sure, by Princeton graduates. 
At half-past ten, as upon the preceding morning, the aca- 
demic procession formed in Marquand Chapel, and marched, 
through even a denser throng, to Alexander Hall, which was 
filled with a large audience. Mr. Charles E. Green intro- 
duced Governor John W. Griggs, of New Jersey, ex-officio 
President of the Board of Trustees, who presided during the 
morning, and whose first duty it was to present the Rever- 
end Doctor Henry van Dyke, of New York City, a graduate 
of the College in the class of 1873, representing the Clio- 
sophic Society, who recited, with refinement and deep 
feeling, this Academic Ode : 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 93 

THE BUILDERS. 



I 
Into the dust of the making of man 
Spirit was breathed when his life began, 
Lifting him up from his low estate 
With masterful passion, the wish to create. 
Out of the dust of his making, man 
Fashioned his works as the ages ran ; 
Palace and fortress and temple and tower, 
Filling the world with the proof of his power. 
The clay wherein God made him 
Grew plastic and obeyed him ; 
The trees, high-arching o'er him. 
Fell everywhere before him ; 
The hills, in silence standing, 
Gave up, at his commanding. 
Their ancient rock foundations, 
To strengthen his creations ; 
And all the metals hidden 
Came forth as they were bidden, 
To help his high endeavour. 
And build a house to stand forever. 



The monuments of mortals 

Are as the flower of the grass ; 
Through Time's dim portals 

A voiceless, viewless wind doth pass ; 
And where it breathes, the brightest blooms decay, 
The forests bend to earth more deeply day by day. 
And all man's mighty buildings fade away. 
One after one. 
They pay to that dumb breath 
The tribute of their death, 

And are undone. 
The towers incline to dust, 
The massy girders rust. 
The domes dissolve in air. 
The pillars that upbear 



94 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

The woven arches crumble, stone by stone, 
While man the builder looks about him in despair, 
For all his works of pride and power are overthrown. 



A Voice spake out of the sky : 
" Set thy desires more high. 
Thy buildings fade away 
Because thou buildest clay. 
Now make the fabric sure 
With stones that shall endure. 
Hewn from the spiritual rock, 

The immortal towers of the soul 
At Time's dissolving touch shall mock. 
And stand secure while sons roll." 

IV 

Well did the wise in heart rejoice 
To hear the secret summons of that Voice, 
And patiently begin 
The builder's work within ; 
Houses not made with hands, 
Nor founded on the sands. 
And thou, revered Mother, at whose call 
We come to keep thy joyous festival. 
And celebrate. 
With fitting state, 
The glory of thy labours on the walls of Truth, 
Through seven-score years and ten of thine eternal youth, - 
A master builder thou, 
And on thy shining brow, 
Like Cybele, in fadeless light dost wear 
A diadem of turrets, strong and fair. 



I see thee standing in a lonely land, 
But late and hardly won from solitude, 

Unpopulous and rude, — 
On that far w^estern shore I see thee stand, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 95 

Like some young goddess from a brighter strand ; 

While in thine eyes a radiant thought is born, 

Enkindhng all thy beauty like the morn, 

And guiding to thy work a powerful hand. 

Sea-like the forest rolled in waves of green, 

And few the lights that glimmered, leagues between. 

High in the North, for four-score years alone, 

Fair Harvard's earliest beacon-tower had shone; 

Then Yale was lighted, and an answering ray 

Flashed from the meadows by New Haven Bay. 

But deeper spread the woodland, and more dark. 

Where first Neshaminy received the spark 

Of sacred learning to a frail abode. 

And nursed the holy fire until it glowed. 

Thine was the courage, thine the larger look, 

That raised yon taper from its humble nook ; 

Thine was the hope, and thine the stronger will. 

That built the beacon here on Princeton hill. 
" New light ! " men cried, and murmured that it came 

From an unsanctioned source, with lawless flame ; 

Too free it shone, for still the church and school 

Must only shine according to their rule. 

But Princeton answered, in her nobler mood, 
" God made the light, and all the light is good. 

There is no war between the old and new ; 

The conflict lies between the false and true. 

The stars that high in heaven their courses run, 

In glory difier, but their light is one. 

The beacons gleaming o'er the sea of life. 

Are rivals but in radiance, not in strife. 

Shine on, ye sister towers, across the night ! 

I too will build a lasting home for light." 



Brave was that word of faith, and bravely was it kept : 
With never-wearying zeal, that faltered not, nor slept. 
She toiled to raise her tower ; and while she firmly laid 
The deep foundation-walls, at all her toil she prayed. 
And men who loved the truth, because it made them free, 
And men who saw the two-fold word of God agree, 



96 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Reading the book of nature and the sacred page 

By the same inward ray that grows from age to age, 

Were built Hke living stones that beacon to uplift, 

And, drawing light from Heaven, gave to the world the gift. 

Nor ever, while they searched the secrets of the earth. 

Or traced the stream of life through mystery to its birth ; 

Nor ever, while they taught the Hghtning flash to bear 

The messages of man in silence through the air, 

Fell from that home of Hght one false perfidious ray. 

To bhnd the trusting heart or lead the life astray; 

But still, while knowledge grew more luminous and broad. 

It ht the path of faith, and showed the way to God. 



Yet not for peace alone 

Labour the builders. 
Work that in peace has grown 
Swiftly is overthrown, 
When from the darkening skies 
Storm-clouds of wrath arise. 
And through the cannons' crash 
War's deadly lightning-flash 

Smites and bewilders. 
Ramparts of strength must frown 
Round every placid town 

And city splendid ; 
All that our fathers wrought 
With true prophetic thought, 

Must be defended. 



But who should raise protecting walls for thee. 
Thou young, defenceless land of liberty ? 
Or who could build the fortress strong enough. 
Or stretch the mighty bulwark long enough 

To hold thy far-extended coast, 

Against the overweening host, 
That took the open path across the sea. 

And, like a tempest, poured 

Their desolating horde 
To quench thy dawning light in gloom of tyranny ? 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 97 

Yet not unguarded thou wert found, 
When on thy shore with sullen sound 
The blaring trumpets of an unjust king 
Proclaimed invasion. From the insulted ground, 
In freedom's desperate hour, there seemed to spring 
Invisible walls for her defense; 
Not trembling, like those battlements of stone 
That fell in fear when Joshua's horns were blown ; 
But standing firmer, growing still more dense 
With every new assault of alien insolence : 
While cannon roared, and flashed, and roared again, 
In sovereign pride the living rampart rose. 
To meet the onset of imperious foes 
With a long line of brave, unconquerable men. 
This was thy fortress, well-defended land. 
And on these walls the patient, building hand 
Of Princeton laboured with the force of ten. 
Her sons were foremost in the furious fight : 
Her sons were firmest to uphold the right 
In council-chambers of the new-born state, 
And prove that he who would be free must first be great 
Of heart, and high in thought, and strong 
In purpose not to do or suffer wrong. 
Such were the men, impregnable to fear. 
Whose patriot hearts were moulded here ; 
And when war shook the land with threatening shock, 
The men of Princeton stood like muniments of rock. 

Nor has the breath of Time 

Dissolved that proud array 

Of imperturbable strength ; 

For though the rocks decay. 

And all the iron bands 
Of earthly strongholds are unloosed at length. 
And buried deep in gray obHvion's sands ; 

The work that heroes' hands 
Wrought in the light of freedom's natal day 

Shall never fade away; 

But lifts itself, sublime. 

Into a lucid sphere, 

For ever still and clear. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

And far above the devastating breath of Time ; 
Preserving, in the memory of the fathers' deed, 
A never-failing fortress for their children's need. 

There we confirm our hearts to-day ; and there we read, 
On many a stone, the signature of fame, 
The builder's mark, our Alma Mater's name. 



Bear with us then a moment, if we turn 
From all the present splendours of this place, — 
The lofty towers that like a dream have grown 
Where once old Nassau Hall stood all alone, — 
Back to that ancient time, with hearts that burn 
In filial reverence and pride, to trace 

The glory of our Mother's best degree. 

In that " high son of Liberty," 

Who like a granite block 

Riven from Scotland's rock 
Stood loyal here to keep Columbia free. 
Born far away beyond the ocean's roar. 
He found his fatherland upon this shore ; 
And every drop of ardent blood that ran 
Through his great heart was true American. 
He held no weak allegiance to a distant throne. 
But made his new-found country's cause his own ; 

In peril and distress, 

In toil and weariness. 

When darkness overcast her 

With shadows of disaster, 

And voices of confusion 

Proclaimed her hope delusion, 

Robed in his preacher's gown, 

He dared the danger down ; 
Like some old prophet chanting an inspired rune, 
Through freedom's councils rang the voice of Witherspoon. 
And thou, my country, write it on thy heart : 
Thy sons are they who nobly take thy part ; 
Who dedicates his manhood at thy shrine. 
Wherever born, is born a son of thine. 
Foreign in name, but not in soul, they come 
To find in thee their long-desired home ; 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 99 

Lovers of liberty, and haters of disorder, 
They shall be built in strength along thy border. 
Ah, dream not that thy future foes 

Will all be foreign-born ; 

Turn thy clear look of scorn 
Upon thy children who oppose 
Their passions wild and policies of shame. 
To wreck the righteous splendours of thy name ! 
Untaught and over-confident they rise, 
With folly on their tongues and envy in their eyes ; 
Strong to destroy, but powerless to create, 
And ignorant of all that made our fathers great ; 
Their hands would take away thy golden crown, 
And shake the pillars of thy freedom down 
In Anarchy's ocean, dark and desolate. 

Oh, should that storm descend. 

What fortress shall defend 

The land our fathers wrought for, 

The liberties they fought for ? 

What bulwark shall secure 
Her shrines from sacrilege and keep her altars pure ? 
Then, ah then, 

As in the olden days, 

The builders must upraise 
A rampart of indomitable men. 

Once again. 
Dear Mother, if thy heart and hand be true. 
There will be building work for thee to do. 

Yea, more than once again. 
Thou shalt win lasting praise. 
And never-dying honour shall be thine, 
For setting many stones in that illustrious line. 

To stand unshaken in the swirling strife, 

And guard their country's honour as her life ! 



Softly, my harp, and let me lay the touch 
Of silence on these rudely clanging strings : 

For he who sings 
Even of noble conflicts overmuch. 
Loses the inward sense of better things ; 



100 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

And he who makes a boast 
Of knowledge, darkens that which counts the most,- 

The insight of a wise humility 
That reverently adores what none can see. 
The glory of our life below 
Comes not from what we do, or what we know. 
But dwells forevermore in what we are. 
There is an architecture grander far 
Than all the fortresses of war ; 
More inextinguishably bright 
Than learning's lonely towers of light. 
Framing its walls of faith and hope and love 
In deathless souls of men, it lifts above 

The frailty of our earthly home 
An everlasting dome ; 
The sanctuary of the human host, 
The living temple of the Holy Ghost. 



If music led the builders long ago, 

When Arthur planned the halls of Camelot, 
And made the mystic city swiftly grow. 

Like some strange flower in that forsaken spot ; 
What sweeter music shall we bring. 
To weave a harmony divine 

Of prayer and holy thought. 
Into the labours of this loftier shrine, 

This consecrated hill, 
Where, through so many a year. 

The hands of faith have wrought. 

With toil serene and still. 
And heavenly hope, to rear 
The eternal dwelling of the Only King ? 

Here let no martial trumpet blow, 
Nor instruments of pride proclaim 
The loud exultant notes of fame. 

But let the chords be clear and low, 

And let the anthem deeper grow, 

And let it move more solemnly and slow, — 
Like that which came 
From angels' lips, when first they hymned their Maker's name ; 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 101 

For only such an ode 
Can seal the harmony 
Of that deep masonry 
Wherein the soul of man is framed for God's abode. 



XII 

O thou whose boundless love bestows 
The joy of earth, the hope of heaven ; 

Thou whose unchartered mercy flows 
O'er all the blessings Thou hast given : 

Thou by whose light alone we see ; 

Thou by whose truth our souls, set free. 

Are made imperishably strong. 
Hear thou the solemn music of our song ! 

Grant us the knowledge that we need 
To solve the questions of the mind ; 

Light Thou our candle while we read, 
And keep our hearts from going blind ; 

Enlarge our vision to behold 

The wonders Thou hast wrought of old ; 

Reveal Thyself in every law, 
And gild the towers of truth with holy awe. 

Be Thou our strength when war's wild gust 

Rages about us, loud and fierce ; 
Confirm our souls, and let our trust 

Be like a wall that none can pierce ; 
Give us the courage that prevails, 
The steady faith that never fails ; 
Help us to stand, in every fight. 
Firm as a fortress to defend the right. 

O God, make of us what Thou wilt ; 

Guide Thou the labour of our hand ; 
Let all our work be surely built 

As Thou, the Architect, hast planned. 
But whatsoe'er Thy power shall make 
Of these frail lives, do not forsake 
Thy dwelHng. Let Thy presence rest 
Forever in the temple of our breast. 



102 PRIiNTCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

The poem was listened to with close attention and mani- 
fest appreciation, being spoken so clearly that every one 
could hear and understand each verse. " It soared stead- 
ily," as a good critic observed, "and rested at a high point." 
It was greeted by warm applause. 

After a selection of music. Professor Woodrow Wilson, 
of the class of 1879, representing the American Whig Soci- 
ety, was introduced by Governor Griggs, and delivered the 
oration, entitled " Princeton in the Nation's Service." 

When Professor Wilson rose to speak, the members of 
the class of 1879, ^^'^o were seated together, stood up to 
greet him, but their cheers were drowned in those of the 
whole assembly. The oration was interrupted by applause 
at several points, particularly when the orator pleaded for 
sound and conservative government, and an education that 
shall draw much of its life from the best and oldest litera- 
ture. At its conclusion the cheering was general and long- 
continued. 



PRINCETON IN THE NATION'S SERVICE. 

Princeton pauses to look back upon her past to-day, not 
as an old man grown reminiscent, but as a prudent 
man, still in his youth and lusty prime, and at the 
threshold of new tasks, who would remind himself of 
his origin and lineage, recall the pledges of his youth, 
assess as at a turning in his life the duties of his station. 
We look back only a httle way to our birth ; but the 
brief space is quick with movement and incident enough 
to crowd a great tract of time. Turn back only one 
hundred and fifty years, and you are deep within quiet 
colony times, before the French or Indian war or thought 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 103 

of separation from England. But a great war is at 
hand. Forces long pent up and local presently spread 
themselves at large upon the continent, and the whole 
scene is altered. The brief plot runs with a strange force 
and haste : First, a quiet group of peaceful colonies, very 
placid and commonplace and dull, to all seeming, in their 
patient working out of a slow development; then, of a 
sudden, a hot fire of revolution, a quick release of power, 
as if of forces long pent up, but set free at last in the 
generous heat of the new day ; the mighty processes of 
a great migration, the vast spaces of a waiting conti- 
nent filled almost suddenly with hosts bred in the spirit 
of conquest; a constant making and renewing of gov- 
ernments, a stupendous growth, a perilous expansion. 
Such days of youth and nation-making must surely 
count double the slower days of maturity and calculated 
change, as the spring counts double the sober fruitage of 
the summer. 

Princeton was founded upon the very eve of the stir- 
ring changes which put this drama on the stage — not 
to breed politicians, but to give young men such training 
as, it might be hoped, would fit them handsomely for 
the pulpit and for the grave duties of citizens and neigh- 
bors. A small group of Presbyterian ministers took the 
initiative in its foundation. They acted without ecclesi- 
astical authority, as if under obligation to society rather 
than to the church. They had no more vision of what 
was to come upon the country than their fellow colonists 
had ; they knew only that the pulpits of the middle and 
southern colonies lacked properly equipped men, and all 
the youth in those parts ready means of access to the 
higher sort of schooling. They thought the discipline 
at Yale a little less than liberal, and the training offered 
as a substitute in some quarters elsewhere a good deal 



104 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

less than thorough. They wanted a " seminary of true 
rehgion and good Hterature " which should be after their 
own model and among their own people. It was not a 
sectarian school they wished. They were acting as citi- 
zens, not as clergymen, and the charter they obtained 
said never a word about creed or doctrine; but they gave 
religion the first place in their programme, which be- 
longed to it of right, and the formation of their college 
they confided to the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, one of 
their own number, a man of such mastery as they could 
trust. Their school was first of all merely a little group 
of students gathered about Mr. Dickinson in Elizabeth. 
Its master died the very year his labors began ; and it 
was necessary to induce the Rev. Aaron Burr, one of the 
trustees, to take the college under his own charge at 
Newark. It was the charm and power of that memor- 
able young pastor and teacher which carried it forward 
to a final establishment. Within ten years many friends 
had been made, substantial sums of money secured, a 
new and more liberal charter obtained, and a perma- 
nent home found at Princeton. And then its second 
president died, while still in his prime, and the succession 
was handed on to other leaders of like quality. 

It was the men, rather than their measures, as usual, 
that had made the college vital from the first and put it 
in a sure way to succeed. The charter was liberal, and 
very broad ideas determined the policy of the young 
school. There were laymen upon its board of trustees, 
as well as clergymen — not all Presbyterians, but all 
lovers of progress and men known in the colony. No 
one was more thoroughly the friend of the new venture 
than Governor Belcher, the representative of the crown. 
But the life of the college was in the men that adminis- 
tered it and spoke in its class rooms, a notable line of 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 105 

thinkers and orators. There had not been many men 
more to be regarded in debate or in counsel in that day 
than Jonathan Dickinson; and Aaron Burr was such a 
man as others turn to and follow with an admiration and 
trust they might be at a loss to explain, so instinctive is 
it and inevitable, — a man with a touch of sweet majesty 
in his presence, and a grace and spirit in his manner 
which more than made amends for his small and slender 
figure; the unmistakable fire of eloquence in him when 
he spoke, and the fine quality of sincerity. Piety seemed 
with him only a crowning grace. 

For a few brief weeks after Burr was dead Jonathan 
Edwards, whom all the world knows, was president in 
his stead; but death came quickly and left the college 
only his name. Another orator succeeded him, Samuel 
Davies, brought out of Virginia, famous out of all pro- 
portion to his years, you might think, until you heard him 
speak and knew the charm, the utterance, and the char- 
acter that made him great. He, too, was presently taken 
by the quick way of death, though the college had had 
him but a little while; and Samuel Finley had presided 
in his stead, with wise sagacity and a quiet gift of leader- 
ship, for all too short a time, and was gone, when John 
Witherspoon came to reign in the little academic king- 
dom for twenty-six years. It was by that time the year 
1768. Mr. Dickinson had drawn that little group of stu- 
dents about him under the first charter only twenty-one 
years ago; the college had been firmly seated in Prince- 
ton for only the twelve years in which it had seen Burr 
and Edwards and Davies and Finley die, and had found 
it not a little hard to live so long in the face of its losses 
and the uneasy movements of the time. It had been 
brought to Princeton in the very midst of the French and 
Indian war, when the country was in doubt who should 



106 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

possess the continent. The deep excitement of the 
Stamp Act agitation had come, with all its sinister 
threats of embroilment and disaffection, while yet the 
college was in its infancy and first effort to live. It was 
impossible it should obtain proper endowment or any 
right and equable development in such a season. It 
ought, by every ordinary rule of life, to have been quite 
snuffed out in the thick and troubled air of the time. New 
Jersey did not, like Virginia and Massachusetts, easily 
form her purpose in that day of anxious doubt. She was 
mixed of many warring elements, as New York also 
was, and suffered a turbulence of spirit that did not very 
easily breed "true religion and good literature." 

But your thorough Presbyterian is not subject to the 
ordinary laws of life — is of too stubborn a fibre, too un- 
relaxing a purpose, to suffer mere inconvenience to bring 
defeat. Difficulty bred effort, rather; and Dr. Wither- 
spoon found an institution ready to his hand that had 
come already in that quickening time to a sort of crude 
maturity. It was no small proof of its self-possession 
and self-knowledge that those who watched over it had 
chosen that very time of crisis to put a man like John 
Witherspoon at the head of its administration, a man 
so compounded of statesman and scholar, Calvinist, 
Scotsman, and orator that it must ever be a sore puzzle 
where to place or rank him — whether among great di- 
vines, great teachers, or great statesmen. He seems to 
be all these and to defy classification, so big is he, so 
various, so prodigal of gifts. His vitality entered like 
a tonic into the college, kept it alive in that time of peril, 
— made it as individual and inextinguishable a force as 
he himself was, alike in scholarship and in public affairs. 

It has never been natural, it has seldom been possible, 
in this country for learning to seek a place apart and hold 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 107 

aloof from affairs. It is only when society is old, long 
settled in its ways, confident in habit, and without self- 
questionings upon any vital point of conduct, that study 
can affect seclusion and despise the passing interests of 
the day. America has never yet had a season of leisured 
quiet in which students could seek a life apart without 
sharp rigors of conscience, or college instructors easily 
forget that they were training citizens as well as drilling 
pupils; and Princeton is not likely to forget that sharp 
schooling of her youth, when she first learned the lesson 
of public service. She shall not easily get John Wither- 
spoon out of her constitution. 

It was a piece of providential good fortune that brought 
such a man to Princeton at such a time. He was a man 
of the sort other men follow and take counsel of gladly, 
and as if they found in him the full expression of what is 
best in themselves. Not because he was always wise, 
but because he showed always so fine an ardor for what- 
ever was worth while, and of the better part of man's 
spirit ; because he uttered his thought with an inevitable 
glow of eloquence ; because of his irresistible charm and 
individual power. The lively wit of the man, besides, 
struck always upon the matter of his thought like a ray 
of light, compelling men to receive what he said, or else 
seem themselves opaque and laughable. A certain 
straightforward vigor in his way of saying things gave 
his style an almost irresistible power of entering into 
men's convictions. A hearty honesty showed itself in 
all that he did, and won men's allegiance upon the 
instant. They loved him even when they had the hardi- 
hood to disagree with him. 

He came to the college in 1768, and ruled it till he 
died, in 1794. In the very middle of his term as head of 
the college the Revolution came, to draw men's minds 



108 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

imperatively off from everything but war and politics, 
and he turned with all the force and frankness of his 
nature to the public tasks of the great struggle: assisted 
in the making of a new constitution for the State ; became 
her spokesman in the Continental Congress ; would have 
pressed her on if he could to utter a declaration of inde- 
pendence of her own before the Congress had acted ; 
voted for and signed the great Declaration with hearty 
good will when it came ; acted for the country in matters 
alike of war and of finance ; stood forth in the sight of 
all the people a great advocate and orator, deeming him- 
self forward in the service of God when most engaged 
in the service of men and of liberty. There were but 
broken sessions of the college meanwhile. Each army 
in its turn drove out the little group of students who 
clung to the place. The college building now became 
a military hospital, and again a barracks for the troops 
— for a little while, upon a memorable day in 1777, a 
sort of stronghold. New Jersey's open counties be- 
came, for a time, the Revolutionary battle-ground and 
field of manoeuvre. Swept through from end to end by 
the rush of armies, the State seemed the chief seat of the 
war, and Princeton a central point of strategy. The 
dramatic winter of i776-'77 no Princeton man could 
ever forget, hved he never so long — that winter which 
saw a year of despair turned suddenly into a year of 
hope. In July there had been bonfires and boisterous 
rejoicings in the college yard and in the village street 
at the news of the Declaration of Independence, for 
though the rest of the country might doubt and stand 
timid for a little to see the bold thing done, Dr. Wither- 
spoon's pupils were in spirits to know the fight was to be 
fought to a finish. Then suddenly the end had seemed 
to come. Before the year was out Washington was in 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 109 

the place, beaten and in full retreat, only three thousand 
men at his back, abandoned by his generals, deserted by 
his troops, hardly daring to stop till he had put the un- 
bridged Delaware between himself and his enemy. The 
British came close at his heels, and the town was theirs 
until Washington came back again, the third day of the 
new year, early in the morning, and gave his view halloo 
yonder upon the hill, as if he were in the hunting-field 
again. Then there was fighting in the very streets, and 
cannon planted against the walls of Old North herself. 
'T was not likely any Princeton man would forget those 
days when the whole face of the war was changed, and 
New Jersey was shaken of the burden of the fighting. 

There was almost always something doing at the place 
when the soldiers were out, for the strenuous Scotsman 
who had the college at his heart never left it for long at 
a time, for all he was so intent upon the pubhc business. 
It was haphazard and piecemeal work, no doubt, but 
there was the spirit and the resolution of the Revolution 
itself in what was done — the spirit of Witherspoon. It 
was not as if some one else had been master. Dr. With- 
erspoon could have pupils at will. He was so much else 
besides schoolmaster and preceptor, was so great a figure 
in the people's eye, went about so like an accepted leader, 
generously lending a great character to a great cause, 
that he could bid men act and know that they would 
heed him. 

The time, as well as his own genius, enabled him to 
put a distinctive stamp upon his pupils. There was 
close contact between master and pupils in that day of 
beginnings. There were not often more than a hundred 
students in attendance at the college, and the president, 
for at any rate half their course, was himself their chief 
instructor. There were two or three tutors to whom the 



110 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

instruction of the lower classes was entrusted ; Mr. 
Houston was professor of mathematics and natural phi- 
losophy, and Dr. Smith professor of moral philosophy 
and divinity ; but the president set the pace. It was he 
who gave range and spirit to the course of study. He 
lectured upon taste and style as well as upon abstract 
questions of philosophy, and upon politics as a science 
of government an,d of public duty as little to be forgot- 
ten as religion itself in any well-considered plan of life. 
He had found the college ready to serve such purpose 
when he came, because of the stamp Burr and Davies 
and Finley had put upon it. They had one and all con- 
sciously set themselves to make the college a place where 
young men's minds should be rendered fit for affairs, for 
the public ministry of the bench and the senate as well as 
of the pulpit. It was in Finley's day, but just now gone 
by, that the college had sent out such men as William 
Paterson, Luther Martin, and Oliver Ellsworth. Wither- 
spoon but gave quickened life to the old spirit and 
method of the place where there had been sound drill 
from the first in public speech and public spirit. 

And the Revolution, when it came, seemed but an ob- 
ject lesson in his scheme of life. It was not simply 
fighting that was done at Princeton. The little town 
became for a season the centre of politics too ; once and 
again the legislature of the State sat in the College Hall, 
and its revolutionary Council of Safety. Soldiers and 
public men, whose names the war was making known 
to every man, frequented the quiet place, and racy talk 
ran high in the jolly tavern, where hung the sign of 
Hudibras. Finally the Federal Congress itself sought 
the place, and filled the college hall with a new scene, 
sitting a whole season there to do its business, its presi- 
dent, Elias Boudinot, a trustee of the college. A com- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 111 

mencement day came, which saw both Washington and 
Witherspoon on the platform together — the two men, it 
was said, who could not be matched for striking presence 
in all the country — and the young salutatorian turned to 
the country's leader to say what it was in the hearts of 
all to utter. The sum of the town's excitement was made 
up when, upon a notable last day of October in the year 
1783, news of peace came to that secluded hall, to add a 
touch of crowning gladness to the gay and brilliant com- 
pany that had met to receive with formal welcome the 
minister plenipotentiary but just come from the Neth- 
erlands, Washington moving amongst them the hero 
whom the news enthroned. 

It was no single stamp of character that the college 
gave its pupils. James Madison, Philip Freneau, Aaron 
Burr, and Harry Lee had come from it almost at a sin- 
gle birth, between 1771 and 1773 — James Madison, the 
philosophical statesman, subtly compounded of learning 
and practical sagacity ; Philip Freneau, the careless poet 
and reckless pamphleteer of a party ; Aaron Burr, with 
genius enough to have made him immortal, and un- 
schooled passion enough to have made him infamous ; 
" Light-horse Harry " Lee, a Rupert in battle, a boy in 
counsel, high-strung, audacious, wilful, lovable, a figure 
for romance. These men were types of the spirit of 
which the college was full — the spirit of free individual 
development, which found its perfect expression in the 
president himself. 

It has been said that Mr. Madison's style in writing is 
like Dr. Witherspoon's, albeit not so apt a weapon for 
the quick thrust and instant parry; and it is recalled that 
Madison returned to Princeton after his graduation, and 
lingered yet another year in study with his master. But, 
in fact, his style is no more like Witherspoon's than 



112 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Harry Lee's way of fighting was. No doubt there were 
the same firmness of touch, the same philosophical 
breadth, the same range of topic and finished force of 
argument in Dr. Witherspoon's essays upon public ques- 
tions that are to be found in Madison's papers in the 
"Federalist"; but Dr. Witherspoon fought, too, with 
the same overcoming dash that made men know Harry 
Lee in the field, albeit with different weapons and upon 
another arena. 

Whatever we may say of these matters, however, one 
thing is certain : Princeton sent upon the public stage an 
extraordinary number of men of notable quality in those 
days ; became herself for a time, in some visible sort, the 
academic centre of the Revolution ; fitted, among the rest, 
the man in whom the country was one day to recognize 
the chief author of the federal constitution. Princeto- 
nians are never tired of telling how many public men 
graduated from Princeton in Witherspoon's time, — 
twenty senators, twenty-three representatives, thirteen 
governors, three judges of the Supreme Court of the 
Union, one Vice-President, and a President, — all within 
a space of scarcely twenty years, and from a college 
which seldom had more than a hundred students. Nine 
Princeton men sat in the Constitutional Convention of 
1787, and, though but six of them were Witherspoon's 
pupils, there was no other college that had there so many 
as six, and the redoubtable doctor might have claimed 
all nine as his in spirit and capacity. Madison guided 
the convention through the critical stages of its anxious 
work with a tact, a gentle unobtrusiveness, an art of 
leading without insisting, ruling without commanding, — 
an authority, not of tone or emphasis, but of apt sugges- 
tion, such as Dr. Witherspoon could never have exer- 
cised. Princeton men fathered both the Virginia plan 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 113 

which was adopted, and the New Jersey plan which was 
rejected; and Princeton men advocated the compromises 
without which no plan could have won acceptance. The 
strenuous Scotsman's earnest desire and prayer to God 
to see a government set over the nation that should last 
was realized as even he might not have been bold enough 
to hope. No man had ever better right to rejoice in 
his pupils. 

It would be absurd to pretend that we can distinguish 
Princeton's touch and method in the Revolution, or her 
distinctive handiwork in the Constitution of the Union. 
We can show nothing more of historical fact than that 
her own president took a great place of leadership in 
that time of change, and became one of the first figures 
of the age ; that the college which he led, and to which 
he gave his spirit, contributed more than her share of 
public men to the making of the nation, outranked her 
elder rivals in the roll-call of the constitutional conven- 
tion, and seemed for a little a seminary of statesmen rather 
than a quiet seat of academic learning. What takes our 
admiration and engages our fancy in looking back to that 
time is the generous union then established in the col- 
lege between the life of philosophy and the life of the 
State. 

It moves her sons very deeply to find Princeton to 
have been from the first what they know her to have 
been in their own day : a school of duty. The Revolu- 
tionary days are gone, and you shall not find upon her 
rolls another group of names given to public life that can 
equal her muster in the days of the Revolution and the 
formation of the government. But her rolls read since 
the old days, if you know but a little of the quiet life of 
scattered neighborhoods, like a roster of trustees, a list 
of the silent men who carry the honorable burdens of 



114 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

business and of social obligation — of such names as 
keep credit and confidence in heart. They suggest a soil 
full of the old seed, and ready, should the air of the time 
move shrewdly upon it as in the old days, to spring 
once more into the old harvest. The various boisterous 
strength of the young men of affairs who went out with 
Witherspoon's touch upon them is obviously not of the 
average breed of any place, but the special fruitage of an 
exceptional time. Later generations inevitably reverted 
to the elder type of Paterson and Ellsworth, the type of 
sound learning and stout character, without bold impulse 
added, or any uneasy hope to change the world. It has 
been Princeton's work, in all ordinary seasons, not to 
change, but to strengthen society, to give, not yeast, 
but bread for the raising. 

It is in this wise Princeton has come into our own 
hands ; and to-day we stand as those who would count 
their forces for the future. The men who made Prince- 
ton are dead ; those who shall keep it and better it still 
live ; they are even ourselves. Shall we not ask, ere we 
go forward, what gave the place its spirit and its air of 
duty ? " We are now men, and must accept in the high- 
est spirit the same transcendent destiny ; and not pinched 
in a corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but 
redeemers and benefactors, pious aspirants to be noble 
clay, plastic under the Almighty effort, let us advance 
and advance on chaos and the dark." 

No one who looks into the life of the institution shall 
find it easy to say what gave it its spirit and kept it in 
its character, the generations through; but some things 
lie obvious to the view in Princeton's case. She has 
always been a school of religion, and no one of her sons 
who has really lived her life has escaped that steadying 
touch which has made her a school of duty. Religion, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 115 

conceive it but liberally enough, is the true salt where- 
with to keep both duty and learning sweet against the 
taint of time and change ; and it is a noble thing to have 
conceived it thus liberally, as Princeton's founders did. 

Churches among us, as all the world knows, are free 
and voluntary societies, separated to be nurseries of be- 
lief, not suffered to become instruments of rule ; and 
those who serve them can be free citizens as well as 
faithful churchmen. The men who founded Princeton 
were pastors, not ecclesiastics. Their ideal was the ser- 
vice of congregations and communities, not the service 
of a church. Duty with them was a practical thing, 
concerned with righteousness in this world, as well as 
with salvation in the next. There is nothing that gives 
such pith to public service as religion. A God of truth 
is no mean prompter to the enlightened service of man- 
kind ; and the character formed, as if in His eye, has 
always a fibre and sanction such as you shall not easily 
obtain for the ordinary man from the mild promptings 
of philosophy. 

This, I cannot doubt, is the reason why Princeton 
formed practical men, whom the world could trust to do 
its daily work like men of honor. There were men in 
Dr. Witherspoon's day who doubted him the right pre- 
ceptor for those who sought the ministry of the church, 
seeing him " as high a son of liberty as any man in 
America," and turned agitator rather than preacher; and 
he drew about him, as troubles thickened, young poli- 
ticians rather than candidates for the pulpit. But it is 
noteworthy that observing men in far Virginia sent their 
sons to be with Dr. Witherspoon because they saw in- 
trigue and the taint of infidelity coming upon their own 
college of William and Mary — Madison's father among 
the rest; and that young Madison went home to read 



116 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

theology with earnest system ere he went out to the tasks 
of his hfe. He had no thought of becoming a minister, 
but his master at Princeton had taken possession of his 
mind and had enabled him to see what knowledge was 
profitable. 

The world has long thought that it detected in the 
academic life some lack of sympathy with itself, some 
disdain of the homely tasks which make the gross globe 
inhabitable, — not a little proud aloofness and lofty supe- 
riority, as if education always softened the hands and 
alienated the heart. It must be admitted that books are 
a great relief from the haggling of the market, libraries 
a very welcome refuge from the strife of commerce. We 
feel no anxiety about ages that are past; old books draw 
us pleasantly off from responsibility, remind us nowhere 
of what there is to do. We can easily hold the service 
of mankind at arm's length while we read and make 
scholars of ourselves. But we shall be very uneasy, the 
while, if the right mandates of religion are let in upon us 
and made part of our thought. The quiet scholar has 
his proper breeding, and truth must be searched out and 
held aloft for men to see for its own sake, by such as will 
not leave off their sacred task until death takes them 
away. But not many pupils of a college are to be in- 
vestigators. They are to be citizens and the world's 
servants in every field of practical endeavor, and in their 
instruction the college must use learning as a vehicle of 
spirit, interpreting literature as the voice of humanity, — 
must enlighten, guide, and hearten its sons, that it may 
make men of them. If it give them no vision of the 
true God, it has given them no certain motive to prac- 
tice the wise lessons they have learned. 

It is noteworthy how often God-fearing men have 
been forward in those revolutions which have vindicated 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 117 

rights, and how seldom in those which have wrought 
a work of destruction. There was a spirit of practical 
piety in the revolutionary doctrines which Dr. Wither- 
spoon taught. No man, particularly no young man, 
who heard him could doubt his cause a righteous cause, 
or deem religion aught but a prompter in it. Revolu- 
tion was not to be distinguished from duty in Princeton. 
Duty becomes the more noble when thus conceived the 
" stern daughter of the voice of God " ; and that voice 
must ever seem near and in the midst of life if it be 
made to sound dominant from the first in all thought 
of men and the world. It has not been by accident, 
therefore, that Princeton men have been inclined to pub- 
lic life. A strong sense of duty is a fretful thing in 
confinement, and will not easily consent to be kept at 
home clapped up within a narrow round. The univer- 
sity in our day is no longer inclined to stand aloof from 
the practical world, and, surely, it ought never to have 
had the disposition to do so. It is the business of a 
university to impart to the rank and file of the men it 
trains the right thought of the world, the thought which 
has been tested and established, the principles which have 
stood through the seasons and become at length part 
of the immemorial wisdom of the race. The object of 
education is not merely to draw out the powers of the 
individual mind: it is rather its right object to draw all 
minds to a proper adjustment to the physical and social 
world in which they are to have their life and their 
development ; to enlighten, strengthen and make fit. 
The business of the world is not individual success, but 
its own betterment, strengthening, and growth in spiritual 
insight. " So teach us to number our days, that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom," is its right prayer and 
aspiration. 



118 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

It was not a work of destruction which Princeton 
helped forward even in that day of storm which came., at 
the Revolution, but a work of preservation. The Ameri- 
can Revolution wrought, indeed, a radical work of change 
in the world: it created a new nation and a new polity; 
but it was a work of conservation after all, as fundamen- 
tally conservative as the Revolution of 1688, or the ex- 
tortion of Magna Charta. A change of allegiance and 
the erection of a new nation in the West were its in- 
evitable results, but not its objects. Its object was the 
preservation of a body of liberties, to keep the natural 
course of English development in America clear of im- 
pediment. It was meant, not in rebellion, but in self- 
defence. If it brought change, it was the change of 
maturity, the fulfilment of destiny, the appropriate fruit- 
age of wholesome and steady growth. It was part of 
English liberty that America should be free. The 
thought of our Revolution was as quick and vital in the 
minds of Chatham and of Burke as in the minds of Otis 
and Henry and Washington. There is nothing so con- 
servative of life as growth ; when that stops, decay sets 
in and the end comes on apace. Progress is life, for the 
body politic as for the body natural. To stand still is to 
court death. 

Here, then, if you will but look, you have the law of 
conservatism disclosed : it is a law of progress. But 
not all change is progress, not all growth is the mani- 
festation of life. Let one part of the body be in haste to 
outgrow the rest and you have malignant disease, the 
threat of death. The growth that is a manifestation of 
life is equable, draws its springs gently out of the old 
fountains of strength, builds upon old tissue, covets the 
old airs that have blown upon it time out of mind in the 
past. Colleges ought surely to be the best nurseries of 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 119 

such life, the best schools of the progress which con- 
serves. Unschooled men have only their habits to 
remind them of the past, only their desires and their 
instinctive judgments of what is right to guide them into 
the future. The college should serve the State as its 
organ of recollection, its seat of vital memory. It should 
give the country men who know the probabilities of 
failure and success, who can separate the tendencies 
which are permanent from the tendencies which are of 
the moment merely, who can distinguish promises from 
threats, knowing the life men have lived, the hopes they 
have tested, and the principles they have proved. 

This College gave the country at least a handful of 
such men, in its infancy, and its president for leader. 
The blood of John Knox ran in Witherspoon's veins. 
The great drift and movement of English liberty, from 
Magna Charta down, was in all his teachings ; his pupils 
knew as well as Burke did that to argue the Americans 
out of their liberties would be to falsify their pedigree. 
'Tn order to prove that the Americans have no right to 
their liberties," Burke cried, "we are every day endeav- 
oring to subvert the maxims which preserve the whole 
spirit of our own." The very antiquarians of the law 
stood ready with their proof that the colonies could not 
be taxed by Parliament. This Revolution, at any rate, 
was a keeping of faith with the past. To stand for it 
was to be like Hampden, a champion of law though he 
withstood the king. It was to emulate the example of 
the very men who had founded the government then for 
a litde while grown so tyrannous and forgetful of its 
great traditions. This was the compulsion of life, not 
of passion, and college halls were a better school of 
revolution than colonial assemblies. 

Provided, of course, they were guided by such a spirit 



120 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

as Witherspoon's. Nothing is easier than to falsify 
the past. Lifeless instruction will do it. If you rob it 
of vitality, stiffen it with pedantry, sophisticate it with 
argument, chill it with unsympathetic comment, you 
render it as dead as any academic exercise. The safest 
way in all ordinary seasons is to let it speak for itself: 
resort to its records, listen to its poets, and to its masters 
in the humbler art of prose. Your real and proper 
object, after all, is not to expound, but to realize it, con- 
sort with it, and make your spirit kin with it, so that 
you may never shake the sense of obligation off. In 
short, I believe that the catholic study of the world's 
literature as a record of spirit is the right preparation 
for leadership in the world's affairs, if you undertake it 
like a man and not like a pedant. 

Age is marked in the case of every people just as it 
is marked in the case of every work of art, into which 
enter the example of the masters, the taste of long 
generations of men, the thought that has matured, the 
achievement that has come with assurance. The child's 
crude drawing shares the primitive youth of the first 
hieroglyphics ; but a little reading, a few lessons from 
some modern master, a little time in the Old World's 
galleries, set the lad forward a thousand years and more, 
make his drawing as old as art itself. The art of think- 
ing is as old, and it is the University's function to impart 
it in all its length : the stiff and difficult stuffs of fact and 
experience, of prejudice and affection, in which the hard 
art is to work its will, and the long and tedious combi- 
nation of cause and effect out of which it is to build up 
its results. How else will you avoid a ceaseless round 
of error ? The world's memory must be kept alive, or 
we shall never see an end of its old mistakes. We are 
in danger to lose our identity and become infantile in 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 121 

every generation. That is the real menace under which 
we cower everywhere in this age of change. The Old 
World trembles to see its proletariat in the saddle ; we 
stand dismayed to find ourselves growing no older, 
always as young as the information of our most numer- 
ous voters. The danger does not lie in the fact that the 
masses whom we have enfranchised seek to work any 
iniquity upon us, for their aim, take it in the large, is to 
make a righteous polity. The peril lies in this, that the 
past is discredited among them, because they played no 
choosing part in it. It was their enemy, they say, and 
they will not learn of it. They wish to break with it 
for ever: its lessons are tainted to their taste. 

In America, especially, we run perpetually this risk of 
newness. Righteously enough, it is in part a conse- 
quence of boasting. To enhance our credit for origi- 
nality, we boasted for long that our institutions were one 
and all our own inventions ; and the pleasing error was 
so got into the common air by persistent discharges of 
oratory, that every man's atmosphere became surcharged 
with it, and it seems now quite too late to dislodge it. 
Three thousand miles of sea, moreover, roll between us 
and the elder past of the world. We are isolated here. 
We cannot see other nations in detail ; and, looked at in 
the large, they do not seem like ourselves. Our prob- 
lems, we say, are our own, and we will take our own 
way of solving them. Nothing seems audacious among 
us, for our case seems to us to stand singular and with- 
out parallel. We run in a free field, without recollection 
of failure, without heed of example. 

This danger is nearer to us now than it was in days 
of armed revolution. The men whom Madison led in 
the making of the Constitution were men who regarded 
the past. They had flung off from the mother country. 



122 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

not to get a new liberty, but to preserve an old, not to 
break a Constitution, but to keep it. It was the glory 
of the Convention of 1787 that it made choice in the 
framing of the government of principles which English- 
men everywhere had tested, and of an organization of 
which in every part Americans themselves had made 
trial. In every essential part they built out of old stuffs 
whose grain and fibre they knew. 

'T is not in battles that from youth we train 
The Governor who must be wise and good, 
And temper with the sternness of the brain 
Thoughts motherly, and meek as womanhood. 
Wisdom doth live with children round her knees : 
Books, leisure, perfect freedom, and the talk 
Man holds with week-day man in the hourly walk 
Of the mind's business ; these are the degrees 
By which true sway doth mount ; this is the stalk 
True power doth grow on ; and her rights are these. 

The men who framed the government were not radi- 
cals. They trimmed old growths, and were not forget- 
ful of old principles of husbandry. 

It is plain that it is the duty of an institution of learn- 
ing, set in the midst of a free population and amidst signs 
of social change, not merely to implant a sense of duty, 
but to illuminate duty by every lesson that can be drawn 
out of the past. It is not a dogmatic process. I know 
of no book in which the lessons of the past are set down. 
I do not know of any man whom the world could trust 
to write such a book. But it somehow comes about 
that the man who has traveled in the realms of thought 
brings lessons home with him which make him grave 
and wise beyond his fellows, and thoughtful with the 
thoughtfulness of a true man of the world. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 123 

He is not a true man of the world who knows only the 
present fashions of it. In good breeding there is always 
the fine savor of generations of gentlemen, a tradition of 
courtesy, the perfect felicity that comes of long practice. 
The world of affairs is so old no man can know it who 
knows only that little last segment of it which we call the 
present. We have a special name for the man who ob- 
serves only the present fashions of the world ; and it is 
a less honorable name than that which we use to desig- 
nate the grave and thoughtful gentlemen who keep so 
steadily to the practices that have made the world wise 
and at ease these hundreds of years. We cannot pre- 
tend to have formed the world, and we are not destined 
to reform it. We cannot even mend it and set it for- 
ward by the reasonable measure of a single generation's 
work if we forget the old processes or lose our mastery 
over them. We should have scant capital to trade on 
were we to throw away the wisdom we have inherited, 
and seek our fortunes with the slender stock we have 
ourselves accumulated. 

This, it seems to me, is the real, the prevalent argu- 
ment for holding every man we can to the intimate study 
of the ancient classics. Latin and Greek no doubt have 
a grammatical and syntactical habit which challenges 
the mind that would master it to a severer exercise of 
analytical power than the easy-going synthesis of any 
modern tongue demands ; but substitutes in kind may be 
found for that drill. What you cannot find a substitute 
for is the classics as literature ; and there can be no first- 
hand contact with that literature if you will not master 
the grammar and the syntax which convey its subtle 
power. Your enlightenment depends on the company 
you keep. You do not know the world until you know 
the men who have possessed it and tried its ways before 



124 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

ever you were given your brief run upon it. And there 
is no sanity comparable with that which is got from the 
the thoughts that will keep. It is such a schooling that 
we get from the world's literature. The books have dis- 
appeared which were not genuine, — which spoke things 
which, if they were worth saying at all, were not worth 
hearing more than once, as well as the books which 
spoke permanent things clumsily and without the gift of 
interpretation. The kind air which blows from age to 
age has disposed of them like vagrant leaves. There 
was sap in them for a little, but now they are gone, we 
do not know where. All literature that has lasted has 
this claim upon us : that it is not dead ; but we cannot 
be quite so sure of any as we are of the ancient literature 
that still lives, because none has lived so long. It holds 
a sort of primacy in the aristocracy of natural selection. 

Read it, moreover, and you shall find another proof of 
vitality in it, more significant still. You shall recognize 
its thoughts, and even its fancies, as your long-time 
familiars, — shall recognize them as the thoughts that 
have begotten a vast deal of your own literature. We 
read the classics and exclaim in our vanity: "How 
modern ! it might have been written yesterday." Would 
it not be more true, as well as more instructive, to ex- 
claim concerning our own ideas: "How ancient! they 
have been true these thousand years " ? It is the gene- 
ral air of the world a man gets when he reads the classics, 
the thinking which depends upon no time, but only upon 
human nature, which seems full of the voices of the 
human spirit, quick with the power which moves ever 
upon the face of affairs. " What Plato has thought, he 
may think ; what a saint has felt, he may feel ; what at 
any time has befallen any man, he can understand." 
There is the spirit of a race in Greek literature ; the spirit 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 125 

of quite another people in the books of Virgil and Horace 
and Tacitus ; but in all a mirror of the world, the old 
passion of the soul, the old hope that keeps so new, the 
informing memory, the persistent forecast. 

It has always seemed to me an odd thing, and a thing 
against nature that the literary man, the man whose citi- 
zenship and freedom are of the world of thought, should 
ever have been deemed an unsafe man in affairs ; and 
yet I suppose there is not always injustice in the judg- 
ment. It is a perilously pleasant and beguiling comrade- 
ship, the company of authors. Not many men, when 
once they are deep in it, will leave its engaging talk of 
things gone by to find their practical duties in the present. 
But you are not making an undergraduate a man of let- 
ters when you keep him four short years, at odd, or even 
at stated, hours in the company of authors. You shall 
have done much if you make him feel free among them. 

This argument for enlightenment holds scarcely less 
good, of course, in behalf of the study of modern litera- 
ture, and especially the literature of your own race and 
country. You should not belittle culture by esteeming 
it a thing of ornament, an accomplishment rather than a 
power. A cultured mind is a mind quit of its awkward- 
ness, eased of all impediment and illusion, made quick 
and athletic in the acceptable exercise of power. It is a 
mind at once informed and just, — a mind habituated to 
choose its courses with knowledge, and filled with a full 
assurance, like one who knows the world and can live in 
it without either unreasonable hope or unwarranted fear. 
It cannot complain, it cannot trifle, it cannot despair. 
Leave pessimism to the uncultured, who do not know 
reasonable hope ; leave fantastic hopes to the uncul- 
tured, who do not know the reasonableness of failure. 
Show that your mind has lived in the world ere now ; 



126 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

has taken counsel with the elder dead who still live, as 
well as with the ephemeral living who cannot pass their 
graves. Help men, but do not delude them. 

I believe, of course, that there is another way of pre- 
paring young men to be wise. I need not tell you that 
I believe in full, explicit instruction in history and in 
politics, in the experiences of peoples and the fortunes 
of governments, in the whole story of what men have 
attempted and what they have accomplished through all 
the changes both of form and purpose in their organiza- 
tion of their common life. Many minds will receive and 
heed this systematic instruction which have no ears for 
the voice that is in the printed page of literature. But, 
just as it is one thing to sit here in republican i\merica 
and hear a credible professor tell of the soil of allegiance 
in which the British monarchy grows, and quite another 
to live where Victoria is queen and hear common men 
bless her with full confession of loyalty, so it is one thing 
to hear of systems of government in histories and treat- 
ises and quite another to feel them in the pulses of the 
poets and prose writers who have lived under them. 

It used to be taken for granted, — did it not? — that 
colleges would be found always on the conservative side 
in politics (except on the question of free trade) ; but in 
this latter day a great deal has taken place which goes 
far towards discrediting the presumption. The college 
in our day lies very near indeed to the affairs of the 
world. It is a place of the latest experiments ; its lab- 
oratories are brisk with the spirit of discovery ; its lec- 
ture rooms resound with the discussion of new theories 
of life and novel programmes of reform. There is no radi- 
cal like your learned radical, bred in the schools; and 
thoughts of revolution have in our time been harbored 
in universities as naturally as they were once nourished 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 127 

among the Encyclopedists. It is the scientific spirit of 
the age that has wrought the change. 

I stand with my hat off at very mention of the great 
men who have made our age an age of knowledge. 
No man more heartily admires, more gladly welcomes, 
more approvingly reckons the gain and the enlighten- 
ment that have come to the world through the extraor- 
dinary advances in physical science which this great age 
has witnessed. He would be a barbarian and a lover 
of darkness who should grudge that great study any 
part of its triumph. But I am a student of society and 
should deem myself unworthy of the comradeship of 
great men of science should I not speak the plain truth 
with regard to what I see happening under my own 
eyes. I have no laboratory but the world of books 
and men in which I live ; but I am much mistaken if 
the scientific spirit of the age is not doing us a great 
disservice, working in us a certain great degeneracy. 
Science has bred in us a spirit of experiment and a 
contempt for the past. It has made us credulous of 
quick improvement, hopeful of discovering panaceas, 
confident of success in every new thing. 

I wish to be as explicit as carefully chosen words will 
enable me to be upon a matter so critical, so radical as 
this. I have no indictment against what science has 
done : I have only a warning to utter against the at- 
mosphere which has stolen from laboratories into lecture 
rooms and into the general air of the world at large. 
Science, — our science, — is new. It is a child of the 
nineteenth century. It has transformed the world and 
owes little debt of obligation to any past age. It has 
driven mystery out of the Universe ; it has made mal- 
leable stuff of the hard world, and laid it out in its ele- 
ments upon the table of every class room. Its own 



128 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

masters have known its limitations : they have stopped 
short at the confines of the physical universe ; they 
they have declined to reckon with spirit or with the 
stuffs of the mind, have eschewed sense and confined 
themselves to sensation. But their work has been so 
stupendous that all other men of all other studies have 
been set staring at their methods, imitating their ways 
of thought, ogling their results. We look in our study 
of the classics nowadays more at the phenomena of 
language than at the movement of spirit; we suppose 
the world which is invisible to be unreal ; we doubt the 
efficacy of feeling and exaggerate the efficacy of know- 
ledge; we speak of society as an organism and believe 
that we can contrive for it a new environment which 
will change the very nature of its constituent parts ; 
worst of all, we believe in the present and in the future 
more than in the past, and deem the newest theory of 
society the likeliest. This is the disservice scientific 
study has done us : it has given us agnosticism in the 
realm of philosophy, scientific anarchism in the field of 
politics. It has made the legislator confident that he 
can create and the philosopher sure that God cannot. 
Past experience is discredited, and the laws of matter 
are supposed to apply to spirit and to the make-up of 
society. 

Let me say once more, this is not the fault of the sci- 
entist. He has done his work with an intelligence and 
success which cannot be too much admired. It is the 
work of the noxious, intoxicating gas which has some- 
how got into the lungs of the rest of us from out the 
crevices of his workshop, — a gas, it would seem, which 
forms only in the outer air, and where men do not know 
the right use of their lungs. I should tremble to see 
social reform led by men who have breathed it; I 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 129 

should fear nothing better than utter destruction from 
a revolution conceived and led in the scientific spirit. 
Science has not changed the laws of social growth 
or betterment. Science has not changed the nature 
of society, has not made history a whit easier to un- 
derstand, human nature a whit easier to reform. It 
has won for us a great liberty in the physical world, a 
liberty from superstitious fear and from disease, a free- 
dom to use nature as a familiar servant ; but it has not 
freed us from ourselves. It has not purged us of pas- 
sion or disposed us to virtue. It has not made us less 
covetous or less ambitious or less self-indulgent. On 
the contrary, it may be suspected of having enhanced 
our passions, by making wealth so quick to come, so 
fickle to stay. It has wrought such instant, incredible 
improvement in all the physical setting of our life, that 
we have grown the more impatient of the unreformed 
condition of the part it has not touched or bettered, and 
we want to get at our spirits and reconstruct them in like 
radical fashion by like processes of experiment. We have 
broken with the past and have come into a new world. 

Do you wonder, then, that I ask for the old drill, the 
old memory of times gone by, the old schooling in pre- 
cedent and tradition, the old keeping of faith with the 
past, as a preparation for leadership in days of social 
change ? We have not given science too big a place in 
our education ; but we have made a perilous mistake in 
giving it too great a preponderance in method in every 
other branch of study. We must make the humanities 
human again ; we must recall what manner of men we 
are ; must turn back once more to the region of practical 
ideals. 

Of course, when all is said, it is not learning but the 
spirit of service that will give a college place in the public 



130 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

annals of the nation. It is indispensable, it seems to me, 
if it is to do its right service, that the air of affairs should 
be admitted to all its class rooms. I do not mean the 
air of party politics, but the air of the world's trans- 
actions, the consciousness of the solidarity of the race, the 
sense of the duty of man toward man, of the presence 
of men in every problem, of the significance of truth for 
guidance as well as for knowledge, of the potency of 
ideas, of the promise and the hope that shine in the face 
of all knowledge. There is laid upon us the compulsion 
of the national life. We dare not keep aloof and closet 
ourselves while a nation comes to its maturity. The 
days of glad expansion are gone ; our life grows tense 
and difficult; our resource for the future lies in careful 
thought, providence, and a wise economy ; and the school 
must be of the nation. 

I have had sight of the perfect place of learning in my 
thought : a free place, and a various, where no man could 
be and not know with how great a destiny knowledge 
had come into the world, — itself a httle world: but not 
perplexed; living with a singleness of aim not known 
without; the home of sagacious men, hard-headed and 
with a will to know, debaters of the world's questions 
every day and used to the rough ways of democracy; 
and yet a place removed, — calm Science seated there, 
recluse, ascetic, like a nun, not knowing that the world 
passes, not caring, if the truth but come in answer to her 
prayer ; and Literature, walking within her open doors, 
in quiet chambers, with men of olden times, storied walls 
about her, and calm voices infinitely sweet ; here " magic 
casements, opening on the foam of perilous seas, in faery 
lands forlorn," to which you may withdraw and use your 
youth for pleasure ; there windows open straight upon 
the street, where many stand and talk, intent upon the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 131 

world of men and business. A place where ideals are 
kept in heart, in an air they can breathe ; but no fool's 
paradise. A place where to learn the truth about the 
past and hold debate about the affairs of the present, 
with knowledge and without passion : like the world in 
having all men's life at heart, a place for men and all 
that concerns them; but unlike the world in its self-pos- 
session, its thorough way of talk, its care to know more 
than the moment brings to light ; dow to take excite- 
ment ; its air pure and wholesome with a breath of faith ; 
every eye within it bright in the clear day and quick to 
look toward heaven for the confirmation of its hope. 
Who shall show us the way to this place ? 

At half-past two in the afternoon of Wednesday, the un- 
dergraduate football teams of Princeton and the University 
of Virginia were to play a match game on the University 
Athletic Field. The seating facilities of the grounds had 
been increased by building new stands. About six thousand 
persons were present, among them many of the delegates. 
To the European visitors an opportunity was thus afforded 
of seeing one of the sights most characteristic of college life 
in America. They were accompanied to the field by their 
hosts, who did their best to explain the technicalities of the 
game. Whether these were all made plain or not made 
possibly only a small difference, for the contest happened 
to be full of telling features, and the scene before and during 
play was most picturesque. The weather had remained per- 
fect. The orange and black banners of Princeton flapped 
languidly beside the orange and blue of Virginia. So clear 
was the air that one could distinguish faces across the field, 
and it seemed as if the Sesquicentennial multitude had be- 
come a single family. It was by no means an ordinary 
football crowd. The average age of the spectators was 



132 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

probably twenty years older than usual. Many older Prince- 
ton alumni doubtless were seeing a football game for the 
first time, but the graybeards were just as enthusiastic as 
the younger men. Fortunately the playing of the Princeton 
team, by its strength, swiftness and skill, justified this in- 
terest, and was in keeping with the best athletic reputation 
of the college. The Virginia team played a manful game 
and were roundly applauded for their many excellent points. 
When time was called the score stood 48 to o in favor of 
Princeton. 

An interesting occurrence, not on the official programme, 
but appropriate to the Sesquicentennial celebration, was the 
meeting of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the 
State of New Jersey, which was held on Wednesday after- 
noon. This society, which contains a large number of 
Princeton graduates and residents of Princeton and neigh- 
boring towns, had caused to be placed on the right-hand 
side of the north entrance to Nassau Hall a bronze memo- 
rial tablet, which was unveiled upon this occasion. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



133 



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Colonel S. Meredith Dickinson, of Trenton, president of 
the society, made a short speech presenting the tablet to the 
trustees. Mr. Charles E. Green, in their behalf, thanked 
the generous donors and accepted the gift, mentioning the 
fact that this was the last official meeting of the Board of 
Trustees of the College of New Jersey. The Honorable 



134 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

John L. Cadwalader, of the class of 1856, then made an 
address, of which the main theme was Princeton's share in 
the Revolution and the appropriateness of the memorial. 

The undergraduates and younger alumni had looked for- 
ward with more interest perhaps to the torchlight procession 
than to any other feature of the celebration. And it had 
been one of the most difficult things to arrange for, because 
it required the cooperation of so many agencies — good 
weather, the presence and enthusiasm of a large number 
of men, and not least an intelligent arrangement of forces. 
Nearly a year ahead of time it was suggested to the stu- 
dents that they should organize a company which should 
reproduce in the procession the famous Mercer Blues of 
Revolutionary Princeton. The Mercer Blues were accord- 
ingly formed and carefully trained. By the time of the 
celebration their number was reduced to about one hun- 
dred, but these men were a handsome marching body. 
They wore reproductions of the blue-and-buff uniforms of 
the Princeton company of Continental soldiers in the Revo- 
lution. It would be easy enough to get the remaining un- 
dergraduates into line, under their several class leaders, 
when the time came. But no one could tell how many 
graduates would be in Princeton on October 21, nor how 
general would be their preparations for making an effective 
display. In order to unify and stimulate their efforts, the 
following circular was sent out: 

STATEMENT OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 

TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION ON WEDNESDAY 

EVENING, OCTOBER 21, 1896. 

Princeton, September 22, 1896. 
This statement is sent to the various class Secretaries at the re- 
quest of a meeting of class Secretaries and Presidents held in Prince- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 135 

ton, September 19. Each Secretary is respectfully requested to dis- 
tribute them to his class without delay. 

Pursuant to a notice a meeting of class Presidents and Secretaries 
was held in Princeton Saturday afternoon, September 19. Sixteen 
classes were represented. The Rev. Dr. W. C. Roberts of the class 
of '55 presided. The arrangements for the torchlight procession on 
the evening of Wednesday, October 21, were outlined by Professors 
West, Libbey, and Thompson. The representatives of the different 
classes stated what preparations were contemplated by their respective 
classes, and a general discussion took place upon the following details : 

Lanterns and Torches. It was decided that the various classes 
should be left free to provide themselves with such lanterns or torches 
as they might prefer, but that such classes as desire to carry 14- 
inch spherical orange-colored paper lanterns can obtain them from 
the Princeton committee at cost, provided they are ordered not later 
than October i. In case any of the classes prefer to carry the so- 
called " electric " torches or candles burning various colored fires, it 
was decided that this might be done. The plan of the procession is 
such that, save in specially arranged cases, every one participating 
in it is expected to carry a lantern or torch of some kind. 

Badges. In addition to the usual class badges furnished by the 
separate classes, it was decided that the committee should prepare 
a special Sesquicentennial badge with a space left upon it where 
the class numeral can be inserted if desired. These special badges 
will be furnished at cost to such classes as apply for them not later 
than October i ; and the application from each class should specify 
whether or not the class numeral is to be inserted. 

Flags and Banners. Orange and black flags of different designs 
are being prepared for decorative purposes. They will be furnished 
to such classes as desire them for use at their headuqarters and else- 
where, provided the orders are sent not later than October i. It is 
understood that such classes as have distinctively class banners will 
carry them in the procession. 



136 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Transparencies. It was decided that handsome and appropriate 
transparencies of an academic character should be admitted to the 
procession, and that the designs for the transparencies be submitted 
to the Princeton Committee. 

Floats. In case any class desires to introduce a float or floats 
into the procession full and definite arrangements must be made 
with the Princeton Committee by October i. 

The second day of the celebration (Wednesday, October 21) is 
distinctively the Alumni Day, and it is therefore hoped that there will 
be a large attendance of alumni on that day. As the accommoda- 
tions over night in Princeton are necessarily limited, special arrange- 
ments have been made with two leading hotels of Trenton, and 
special trains will run each morning from Trenton, Philadelphia, and 
New York, arriving in Princeton before the first exercise of each 
day, and returning at night after the close of the exercises. It is 
expected that the torchlight procession and the other exercises of 
Wednesday evening will be over in time for special trains to leave 
at about eleven o'clock. 

Definite announcement will be made in Princeton by circular on 
Wednesday morning, October 21, as to the time and place of the 
assembling of each class for the procession. 

All orders for lanterns, badges, and flags as above mentioned 
should be sent to Professor H. D. Thompson, Princeton, N. J. 

All alumni desiring accommodations or tickets to the various ex- 
ercises of the celebration should apply to Professor William Libbey, 
Princeton, N. J. Applications for tickets will be filed and all avail- 
able tickets will be distributed at the office of the Committee in 
Princeton to the applicants when they appear in person. 

Andrew F. West, '74,'j ^ . 

,,r X , Pi' nice ton 

William Libbey, 77, ) „ 

Tj T\ -r 'o Committee. 

H. D. Thompson, 85, j 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 137 

On Monday, October 19, the following final instructions 
were issued : 



TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION, 
WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 21, 1896. 

General Instritctions. 

1. Each class will assemble at the place marked for it on the 
enclosed diagram of the Campus promptly at 8 p. m. and prepare for 
the parade. See Diagram No. i. 

2. All floats upon platform wagons, whether drawn by horses or 
men, will form in line on the west side of University Place, in the 
order of the classes they represent, at 8 p. m. The head of this 
line will not advance beyond a point opposite the Halsted Observa- 
tory until the class which they are to accompany reaches the front 
of Halsted Observatory, when the float, or floats, will pass forward 
and take their places in the line under the instruction of the aide 
for the class. Each class aide must appoint an assistant to accom- 
pany every float to see that it is moved forward promptly as his line 
appears. The remaining floats will move forward at the same time 
to the point indicated above, where they will halt until ordered to 
move forward by the aides. Should any of the floats be disabled 
along the line of march it must be immediately taken to one side and 
the ranks closed up. 

3. The central portion of the Campus, about the Big Cannon, 
must be kept clear at all times. Each class must remain at its 
assigned station subject to the orders of the aide in charge. Should 
the designated aide not appear, one should immediately be chosen, 
and he must at once report to the marshal for instructions. 

4. The commanders of divisions will report at the Big Cannon 
at 8 p. M. in undress uniform. 

At 8. 10 p. M. the College bell will be rung and the aides will all report 
to their respective commanders at the Big Cannon for instructions. 



138 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

At 8. 20 p. M. the "assembly" will be blown by the bugler. All 
torches and transparencies must be lit by this time and the lines 
formed immediately after this order, in columns of fours. The com- 
manders of divisions will then take their places at the head of their 
respective lines. As soon as each class is formed its aide will report 
the fact to his commander. 

The Marshal's aides will then visit each commander, and upon 
ascertaining that all is in readiness, will return to the Marshal at 
the Cannon. 

5. The column will move promptly at 8.30 p. m. There will be no 
delay. 



Line of March. 

From the Big Cannon between West College and Reunion Hall 
to University Place. 

Along University Place to Dickinson Street. 

Along Dickinson Street to Alexander Street. 

(Here the floats will leave the line and pass along Alexander 
Street to Mercer; thence to the westerly Seminary Gate. They will 
rejoin their classes at this point as before at the Halsted Observ- 
atory.) 

Along Alexander Street to the Seminary Gate. 

Through the Seminary Grounds to Mercer Street. 

Along Mercer Street to Library Place. 

Along Library Place to Stockton Street. 

Along Stockton Street to Nassau Street. 

(Should time permit the line will pass down Bayard Avenue as far 
as Mr. Conover s house, and counter-march to Nassau Street.) 

Along Nassau Street to Chestnut Street. 

Counter-march to Washington Street. 

(At this point the floats will leave the line and proceed to a point 
on Nassau Street opposite Nassau Hall, where they will halt.) 

The line will proceed along Washington Street to McCosh Walk. 

Along McCosh Walk to the west side of Clio Hall. 

From Clio Hall to the west end of Nassau Hall. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



139 



In front of Nassau Hall past the reviewing-stand to their places in 
the front Campus as assigned by the aides, and as indicated on the 
enclosed diagram. See Diagram No. 2, 



Officers and Order of the Procession, 



The 71st Regiment Band, 
The Mercer Blues. 
The Marshal and Aides. 
Delegation from Yale University. 



First Division : The Undergraduates. 

Commander, Mr. H. C. Brokaw, '97. 
Aides : '97, Mr. W. H. Andrus. '99, Mr. J. G. Stevenson. 



Mr. G. Cochran. 



'00, Mr. B. Wheeler. 



Second Division: "The Old Guard," Classes from 1823 to 1859. 
Commander, Gen. W. S. Stryker, '58. 



Aides : 



Rev. W. E. Schenck. 
Col. M. R. Hamilton. 
Dr. H. M. Alexander. 
Prof J. T. Duffield. 
Rev. Dr. E. R. Craven. 
Hon. J. P. Stockton. 
Hon. H. S. Little. 
Mr. C. M. Davis. 
Hon. B. Van Syckel. 
Mr. A. Martien. 
Rev. Dr. W. C. Cattell. 



'49, Dr. J. Paul. 

50, Dr. J. B. Piper, 

51, Dr. J. H. Wikoff. 

52, Mr. J. C. McDonald. 

53, Mr. I. C. Whitehead. 

54, Rev. L. C. Baker. 

55, Mr, H. Y. Evans. 

56, Lt.-Col.A.A.Woodhull. 

57, Mr. S. Bayard Dod. 
Hon. W. L. Dayton. 

59, Hon. G. W, Ketcham. 



140 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



Third Division: Classes from i860 to 1870. 

Commander, Maj. J. C. Owens, '68. 

Aides: '60, Mr. E. J. D. Cross. '65, Mr. C. F. Richardson. 
'66, Hon. J. K. Cowen. 
'67, Mr. F. E. Marsh. 

Mr. C. S. Withington. 



'60, Mr. E. J. D. Cross. 
'61, Hon. L. H. Anderson. 
'62, Rev. L. W. Mudge. 
'63. Mr. S. B. Huey. 



'64, Mr. W. Freeman. 



'69, Mr. J. W. Aitke 



Fourth Division : Classes from 1870 to 18 



Aides : 



Commander, Col. D. G. Walker, 



75. 



'70, Rev. W. H. Miller. '75, Dr. T. W. Harvey. 

'71, Dr. W. McD. Halsey. '76, Mr. H. L. Harrison. 

'72, Rev. J. W. Hageman. '']'], Mr. J. A. Campbell. 

'n, Rev. J. H. Dulles. '78, Prof H. S. S. Smith. 

'74, Mr. C. D. Thompson. '79, Maj. J. R. Wright. 



Fifth Division : Classes from 1880 to 1890. 

Commander, Capt. F. G. Landon, 



Aides: '80, Prof. H. B. Fine. 

'81, Rev. R. D. Harlan. 
'82, Mr. E. S. Simons. 
'83, Rev. E. H. Rudd. 
'84, Mr. A. G. Todd. 



'81. 



, Mr. J. B. Miles. 
'86, Mr. F. Evans, Jr. 

87, Mr. L. Stearns. 

88, Pres. W. M. Irvine. 
I, Rev. L. S. Mudge. 



Sixth Division: Classes from 189010 1896. 

Commander, Capt. P. Vredenburgh, '92. 

Aides : '90, Mr. L. D. Speir. '94, Mr. J. M. Thompson. 

'95, Mr. A. C. Imbrie. 
'96, Mr. C. B. Bostwick. 



90, Mr. L. D. Speir. 
'91, Col. G. B. Agnew. 
Mr. W. K. Prentice. 



92, 

'93, Mr. J. B. Carter. 







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142 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

There is no means of ascertaining closely how many 
Princeton graduates and how many guests and visitors 
were in town when the unclouded sun of that rare October 
day yielded the field at nightfall. It is probable that about 
two thousand alumni and several times that number of in- 
terested spectators were waiting for the grand spectacular 
event. As the red sun dropped behind the pines of Mor- 
ven, the Hunter's Moon rose broad and yellow in the east. 
But other luminaries disputed the Princeton campus, for 
between daylight and dark a thousand orange-colored lan- 
terns, and as many more of red and blue and green, began 
to twinkle among the trees and above the paths, and the 
front of Nassau Hall, that old pile which Princeton men 
have loved through so many generations, burst in a mo- 
ment into a mass of orange-tinted electric fire. Lights 
crept along the cornices and over the entrance and up 
the white tower. They outlined the famous belfry, where 
the busy work-day monitor hung silent. They flashed 
forth upon the gilded pinnacle. The front campus would 
have been a fitting theatre for a revel of fairies or some 
gorgeous midsummer night's dream. The ground in front 
of Nassau Hall was as bright as day, and so were the 
main avenues, but on either hand was a pleasant mingling 
of darkness and softest light. Along the elm boughs 
glowed in graceful festoons lights that looked like new 
constellations in the sky. From clumps of evergreen shim- 
mered the yellow radiance, as if of enormous fireflies. 
Every room in Reunion and East and West Colleges 
poured forth a merry shine, and no part of the campus, 
north of Potter's woods, was left to moonlight alone. 

In the quadrangle around the Big Cannon there soon 
began a scene of unwonted stir, although few places, to be 
sure, have witnessed more bonfires and nocturnal celebra- 
tions than that well-trodden square. Flaring torches, in 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 143 

long, tossing lines, appeared from all directions. Trom- 
bones and cornets reflected the light grotesquely increasing. 
Bugles broke forth into rallying calls. Gigantic tigers and 
other quadrupeds came nodding and bobbing over the 
grass from one and another place of preparation and con- 
cealment. Whole classes marched into their positions, 
straight from their banquets and reunions. At first it 
looked as if there would be an inextricable tangle of bands 
and floats and transparencies, but before long all fell into 
perfect order, and the several grand divisions, cheering 
and impatient to be off, stood in their places, and every 
torch was burning. At twenty minutes past eight the 
bugles blew, and there was a hurrying to and fro of aides 
and captains. At half-past eight all were in place again, and 
precisely to the minute the long procession started. The 
Mercer Blues, led by Professor Libbey in Continental uni- 
form, and carrying the sword worn by General Hugh 
Mercer at the battle of Princeton, marched with the solidity 
and precision of veterans. They not only marched, but 
performed various difficult evolutions, to the delight of the 
thousands who thronged the streets. The delegation of 
Yale Seniors, who followed them in a place of honor before 
the main body of Princeton undergraduates, were loudly 
cheered as they wheeled into line. The Princeton students, 
many of them carefully dressed for the occasion in cos- 
tumes supposed to represent the easy equality and contempt 
for show which characterizes them, marched in classes, and 
were not restrained from loud and constant cheering by 
any feelings of modesty or timidity. Even had they rea- 
lized how many gray-bearded men were immediately fol- 
lowing them in the tortuous line, it is possible they would 
not have subdued their ardor. But that Old Guard was 
cheering too! The earliest class represented in the proces- 
sion was 1839, which had two men in line, while on the 



144 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

campus were graduates still older, — as far back as 1825. 
As classes of later date appeared, the numbers grew. Men 
high in state and church, veterans of the Civil War, distin- 
guished ministers, lawyers, physicians, business men, edi- 
tors, teachers, some in carriages, but nearly all on foot, they 
awoke the wildest storms of applause in every street of the 
town, marching once more together as they "used to do 'way 
back in Freshman year." With two exceptions, every one 
of the sixty- two classes from 1839 ^^ 1900 was represented 
in the line. The few old gentlemen present who were 
graduated still further back, but were prevented by age or 
infirmities from marching in the line, sat on the reviewing- 
stand. Men had come from distant countries, and the 
remotest parts of the United States, to participate in this 
parade. After this division of heroes came the classes from 
i860 to 1896, with the students of the Princeton Theologi- 
cal Seminary, four long divisions. From the class of 1896 
one hundred and fifty men were present, from '95 one 
hundred and forty, from '94 one hundred and twenty-five. 
The class of '88 created the greatest amusement. The men 
rode imitation horses, which were managed with well- 
feigned dexterity. A large Trojan Horse was dragged 
along in triumph after the burlesque equestrians. Their 
progress was marked by a continuous roar of "inextinguish- 
able laughter." The class of '79 carried several large and 
remarkable transparencies, among them one representing 
the bronze relief of President McCosh in the chapel, which 
was their gift. Nearly all the later classes bore humorous 
transparencies, illustrating some event in their own history 
when in college, or enforcing some political opinion or some 
theory of managing the new university. The class of '81, 
dressed in the costume of Colonial soldiers, was preceded 
by a gorgeous coach in which one of their number, made up 
to represent George Washington, reclined at his ease. The 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 145 

class of '77 dragged a huge wooden cannon which belched 
forth red fire, and a float on which stood a stuffed tiger, and 
bore the Princeton flag which Professor Libbey carried with 
him on his recent Arctic expedition. Some of the legends 
held aloft by the younger classes were highly amusing, and 
were greeted with shouts of laughter. The procession was 
about a mile long, and took half an hour to pass a given 
point. Probably more than three thousand men were in 
the line. 

Shortly after the procession had left the quadrangle, the 
clatter of hoofs was heard on the now almost empty campus, 
and the historic City Troop of Philadelphia, successors of 
the Troop that fought under Washington at Princeton, in 
their beautiful white-and-blue uniforms and mounted on 
splendid chargers, dashed up to the reviewing-stand in front 
of Nassau Hall, escorting the President of the United States 
and Mrs. Cleveland, who were driven in a carriage to their 
places, in the centre of a half-dozen long tiers of seats filled 
with the delegates and other invited guests. The President 
and Mrs. Cleveland were welcomed by President Patton, 
Governor Griggs, Senator George Gray of Delaware, Pro- 
fessor West, and Mr. James W. Alexander of the Board 
of Trustees. President and Mrs. Cleveland were placed 
near the main entrance of Nassau Hall, where Washington 
entered after the battle of Princeton, and where subsequently 
he attended the College Commencement in 1783. The City 
Troop wheeled to the right and dismounted in a line near 
the walk in front of the College Offices. There were per- 
haps two thousand persons, many of them ladies, in the 
reviewing-stand, sitting in groups as they had come from 
dining together in Princeton homes. Scarcely had the flutter 
of arrival ceased, when the head of the procession, having 
finished its long course through historic streets and academic 
groves, emerged from the narrow space between Nassau 



146 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Hall and Reunion, and wheeling to the left, began to pass 
the stand. The fairy charm of the swinging lanterns was 
broken by the flaring torchlights, and the band which pre- 
ceded the Old Guard burst forth into the inspiring strains 
of " Marching through Princeton." The veteran division 
passed the Chief Magistrate of the United States with 
uncovered heads, and he bowed to them repeatedly. 
Each of the younger classes stopped before him and 
gave him at least three cheers and often three times three, 
and as many more for Mrs. Cleveland. There were many 
witty allusions to the political situation, and no con- 
cealment of the sympathy the men felt for the President and 
his attitude. After nearly an hour the procession ceased to 
pour past the reviewing-stand, and all its members were 
massed in a dense throng facing Nassau Hall, singing the 
songs of Princeton. There were innumerable calls for 
speeches from President Cleveland, and he seemed about to 
yield when the fireworks began to go off along the fence 
which divides the front campus from Nassau street. As 
the large dynamite rockets sailed towards the sky they 
were accompanied by the Princeton "rocket" cheer, until 
the general display of fiery wheels, bursting bombs, foun- 
tains, showers, and set figures so took possession of the 
crowd that they looked on in silent admiration. When the 
final and magnificent figure, "Good night, Princeton 1746- 
1896," rose into the air, beautiful and appropriate to the 
occasion, the multitude gave one vast roar of approbation 
and began to scatter. The City Troop mounted and rode 
forward to escort the President and Mrs. Cleveland to 
Prospect, the residence of President Patton. Those who 
knew what a great day the morrow was to be went home 
to rest. Most of the alumni spent some time seeking their 
classmates in the throng, and retired in despair. Some 
succeeded in having class reunions. The Chinese lanterns 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 147 

burned themselves out. The campus was soon silent and 
deserted. It was over, — and soon only the moon, now 
riding high aloft, poured her soft light through the trees. 

Our revels now are ended : these our actors, 
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and 
Are melted into air, into thin air. 



The Third Day. 

On Thursday, October 22, 1896, what had up to that time 
been a purely academic festival was transformed into a great 
national event. The Princeton sesquicentennial celebration 
had from the first been more than merely local : it had been 
given unusual dignity and value by the presence and coop- 
eration of a more distinguished company of eminent men of 
learning than was ever before assembled in this country. 
Philosophy, literature, science, and art were worthily repre- 
sented and duly honored. But it was remarked that the 
trend of the proceedings was towards the expression of po- 
Htical ideas. It was manifest that what Princeton prided 
herself on were her statesmen, the connection between her 
lecture-rooms and the council-chambers of the nation, her 
character for sober, just, and progressive political thought. 
The men who had gathered to her revels came almost reluc- 
tant to leave for three whole days of serenity and peace the 
battle-field of political strife, where so many of them were 
contending for all that was reasonable, peaceful, and just. 
And of a sudden it turned out that Princeton became on the 
last of these three days the storm-centre of the political 
atmosphere, the spot upon which the eyes of the whole 
country were turned. 

A slight touch of frost was in the air when morning 
dawned. The dreamy haze of Indian summer had rolled 



148 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

southward, and the sun shone with a brightness prophetic of 
winter. Leaves were falHng in showers and eddying along 
the ground. The sky was cloudless. Every footfall rang 
sharply on the pavement; every hood of orange, scarlet, blue, 
and purple stood out bright and handsome in the crystalline 
air. Once more the great Princeton family and its guests 
were astir. Princeton University was to be born this day. 
A home in the world of learning was to be newly conse- 
crated. The amount of the sesquicentennial fund was to be 
announced. The President of the United States was to 
make an address, and no one doubted that it would be, in 
some sense, his valedictory speech to the American people. 
The pageant of conferring the degrees was to be enacted. 

The noble and beautiful Alexander Hall proved splendidly 
adequate as the theatre of these events. It was completely 
packed, except in the orchestra and on the stage, early in 
the morning, while throngs of people strove in vain to 
enter. The crowd filled the aisles and reached beyond the 
doors, and men in the gallery seemed to stand on one 
another's shoulders. Crowds of others lined the path to the 
chapel, down which, at eleven o'clock, marched the City 
Troop of Philadelphia, followed two and two by the academic 
procession. At its head walked President Patton, with 
President Cleveland on his right, the latter being perhaps 
the only man who did not wear cap or gown or hood. In 
front of Alexander Hall the City Troop stood like a line of 
statues, the perfection of military form. They presented 
arms as the Chief Magistrate passed. Mrs. Cleveland, with 
her hostess, Mrs. Patton, had already entered the hall, and 
was seated in the circle which surrounds the orchestra. 

The procession descended the main aisle, while the audi- 
ence rose and greeted it with tumultuous applause and 
continuous and irrepressible cheering. The distinguished 
scholars who were to receive degrees took seats upon the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 149 

platform, President Patton in the centre under the dais, with 
President Cleveland on his right and Governor Griggs on 
his left. In the small semicircle were also the Rev. Dr. 
Theodore L. Cuyler, of Brooklyn ; the Right Rev. Henry 
Yates Satterlee, Bishop of Washington ; Mr. Charles E. 
Green; the Rev. Dr. Elijah R. Craven, of Philadelphia, 
Clerk of the Board of Trustees; and near by were Dean 
Murray and Professors Shields, Young, and Sloane, who 
were to present the recipients of the degrees, and Professor 
Libbey, the marshal. The rest of the academic procession 
filled the orchestra. 

When the applause had subsided and the music ceased. 
Dr. Cuyler arose and offered the following prayer: 

"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, the heavens 
are full of Thy praise. From Thee cometh down every 
good and perfect gift. We thank Thee that Thy ser- 
vants have planted the root divine which has spread like 
a goodly cedar, and has yielded nurture to the work of 
the Holy Spirit all over the earth. We thank Thee 
that it has guarded the cradle of our youthful republic, 
and that here Thy name has been honored and Thy 
word has been taught. And now. Most Holy One, we 
invoke thy richest blessings on our mother, who nur- 
tured us so tenderly on her bosom. We invoke Thee 
to bless our country on whose altar rest the ashes of her 
fathers and the hopes of her children. Bless the Presi- 
dent of the United States, and may he continue to honor 
the high trust committed to his care to the very last hour 
of his administration. Bless also the Governor of this 
Commonwealth, and all who rule in high authority. 
Bless those who come to us from the various colleges 
and universities of the world, bringing congratulations 
from sister institutions. We pray that every university 



150 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

may be a fountainhead of truth, and that all their fruits 
may be laid at the feet of Jesus Christ, and on this day 
so full of memories and so radiant with hopes we join all 
our voices in crowning Him Lord of all. Hear us in 
these our petitions as we gather, weak, poor and sinful, 
and as we join in the words our Saviour taught us to 
say." The entire assembly then joined in the Lord's 
Prayer. 

Then, amid a hush of expectancy, President Patton slowly 
arose, and with much dignity and grace of manner made 
the announcement of the university title and endowments. 
Every word fell clear and was heard in the remotest corners 
of that densely crowded hall. One common tide of emotion 
swelled and rose in the hearts of the alumni of the old Col- 
lege of New Jersey while his utterance grew louder and his 
voice was thrilled with deeper feeling as he approached 
the climax, when, on a sudden, with one magical phrase he 
called to the floods and they obeyed. Men who loved 
Princeton as the home of their hearts, as the field of their 
ideals and their hopes, trembled with enthusiasm as the 
moment approached — the moment of moments; and when 
it came, they leaped to their feet, spontaneously, and a great 
shout went up to heaven. 

President Patton said, bowing to the President of the 
United States, to the Governor of New Jersey and to the 
audience : 

We have waited long for this hour. To us it is the 
hour of gladness, but we cannot conceal from ourselves 
the fact that it is an hour in which we are conscious of 
serious responsibilities as well. And so, reverently and 
in the fear of God, we enter this house and begin the 
exercises of the day by invoking the favor of God 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 151 

Almighty. We have planned for an appropriate rec- 
ognition of the fact that on this day there will occur 
the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the signing 
of the charter of the College of New Jersey. 

We desired to mark the day by three appropriate cir- 
cumstances. In the first place, it was our desire that 
the occasion should be one in which there should be a 
fitting celebration of the event to which I have just 
referred, and we accordingly planned, with such fore- 
thought and wisdom as we had, for a suitable academic 
festival. I am speaking the feelings of my colleagues 
on the board of trustees and in the faculty when I say 
that we have been exceedingly gratified by the success 
that has thus far attended our efforts; and we do not 
forget that the degree of success that we have had is due 
in the main to the kind, cordial cooperation of the uni- 
versities of the world, to those who come to us from the 
universities of this land, and especially to those who, at 
great sacrifice of time and pressing engagements, have 
crossed the sea and come to us from other lands. We 
feel ourselves under a great debt of obligation, and I 
desire at this moment to express to them in the heartiest 
possible way the thanks of the trustees and faculty for 
their kind presence among us, and friendly sympathy 
shown us, and the deep interest they have ever mani- 
fested in our institution. 

We hope that they will carry away pleasant memories 
of Princeton, but we assure you that, on our part, their 
presence has been an inspiration to us, and that the cause 
of the higher education has taken a long step in advance 
as the result of their kindly presence. We wish to as- 
sure them that their names will linger with us always 
as pleasant memories ; that we feel ourselves nearer to 
them than we ever did before ; that there is a commu- 



152 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

nity of interest between us and the universities of the 
world that we never reahzed before ; and that this 
community of university interest is, let us hope, but 
a symbol of that underlying, ever-growing interna- 
tional community that shall make for peace, concord 
and good-will among the nations of the earth. 

It was not unnatural that the trustees and the faculty 
of the College of New Jersey should think that the be- 
ginning of a new era in her history furnished us with an 
opportunity that we could not well let go by for an effort 
in the direction of an increase in the endowments of the 
institution in whose interests we meet this morning ; and it 
is my pleasure to say that, notwithstanding the stress of 
difficult financial circumstances throughout the country, 
our success in this direction has been exceedingly gratify- 
ing, and has exceeded the most sanguine expectations, at 
least of some of us, when this movement was inaugurated. 

There has been placed in my hands a statement which 
I shall read: In order to strengthen and extend the 
various departments of instruction and research, a com- 
mittee on endowment was appointed by the trustees, and 
organized in January, 1895. This committee was ap- 
pointed to secure the necessary means for strengthening 
and extending the various departments of instruction 
and research, both undergraduate and graduate. The 
especial objects for which the increase of endowment 
was sought were university fellowships and professor- 
ships, an increase in the salaries of the faculty, an 
increase in the general fund, and a new university library. 

Many subscriptions have been received. Without 
specifying in detail what must be reserved for a later 
and fuller statement, it is proper to say at this time that 
several fellowships have been secured and a McCormick 
professorship has been founded ; a Blair Hall has been 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 153 

given, its revenues being available for the support of 
professors ; and a considerable, though not a complete, 
endowment of the McCosh Professorship of Philosophy 
has been obtained. A gift of $250,000 has been received 
for purposes not yet ready to be announced publicly, 
and a gift of $600,000 has been received for a univer- 
sity library. The guarantee of subscriptions reported 
up to October 21 is $1,353,291. 

We have not abandoned the prosecution of this work, 
and some unfinished business remains in connection with 
the duties of the Endowment Committee. At a later 
date we hope to be able to announce the complete 
endowment of the McCosh professorship. 

We are anxious to secure a complete endowment for a 
graduate college, in order that the best facilities may be 
furnished for the prosecution of graduate work; and it is 
one of the still unrealized dreams of my early adminis- 
tration that the time may yet come when there shall be in 
this University such a school of historical and philosoph- 
ical jurisprudence and political science as shall be worthy 
of the historic foundations on which it will be planted, 
and be the logical outcome of our historic beginning. 

There was another circumstance by which we thought 
it would be wise to mark the significance of this day. 
Thanks to the liberal provisions of the charter of the 
College of New Jersey, this institution from its begin- 
ning has been fully empowered to do university work in 
all its spheres, and we have had occasion to make no 
change whatever in the charter of the College of New 
Jersey in order that we might change its corporate name. 
It has been thought best to change the corporate name 
of the College of New Jersey, partly in order that the 
name of the institution might more fittingly correspond 
to the work that it has been doing for so many years. 



154 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

and partly, also, that the new name might serve as an in- 
spiration for new effort, and mark a new departure in the 
direction of higher and more extended work in the great 
realm of pure culture, as that realm divides itself into the 
three great kingdoms of philosophy, science, and literature. 

And so it is my pleasure, for expression of which I 
have no equivalent in words, to say that the wishes of 
the alumni in this respect have at last been fully real- 
ized; to say that the faculty, trustees, and alumni stand 
together, and, as with the voice of one man, give their 
hearty approval to the change that has taken place. 

It is my great pleasure to say that from this moment 
what heretofore for one hundred and fifty years has been 
known as the College of New Jersey shall in all future 
time be known as Princeton University. 

As the new name was announced the audience broke 
into immense applause, which settled into deep, concerted, 
shattering cheering, each cheer ending with the triple 
" Princeton University." With a blare of trumpets silence 
was, after many minutes, restored, and President Patton, 
with uplifted hand, cried, "God bless Princeton University, 
and make us faithful in her service!" 

The orchestra then played a short selection, after which 
began the ceremony of conferring the honorary degrees. 
The Clerk of the Board of Trustees rose in his place and, 
standing covered, said: "The recipients of honorary de- 
grees will present themselves before the President as their 
names are called. The Reverend Professor Shields will 
present in Theology and Philosophy." Professor Shields 
read the names of the gentlemen who were to receive the 
honorary degree of doctor of divinity, and as each came to 
the front of the platform and faced the audience, standing 
near Professor Shields, the latter pronounced the titles and 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 155 

mentioned some of the distinguished works of the recipient, 
and then turning, led him to a place in front of President 
Patton, who remained seated and covered. When the group 
was complete, the President said: "Auctoritate mihi a Cu- 
ratoribus Universitatis Princetoniensis commissa vos ad 
summum gradum in divinitate admitto." The President 
then arose and, uncovering, extended his hand to each in 
turn, and after a word of greeting they were escorted to 
their seats by Professor Shields. 

In the same manner Professor Shields presented a group 
of men distinguished in philosophy, upon whom was con- 
ferred the degree of doctor of laws, the word " legibus " 
being substituted, in the President's formula, for "divinitate." 

When this portion of the ceremony was completed, the 
Clerk of the Board of Trustees, again standing covered, 
said: " Professor Young will present in Mathematics, and 
in the Physical and in the Natural Sciences." Professor 
Young called upon the distinguished gentlemen and pre- 
sented them, and to each group as it was formed the Presi- 
dent, in the manner already described, said: "Auctoritate 
mihi a Curatoribus Universitatis Princetoniensis commissa 
vos ad summum gradum in legibus admitto." 

The Clerk of the Board of Trustees in like manner said : 
"Professor Sloane will present in History, in the Political 
Sciences, and in Education." Professor Sloane introduced 
the recipients, and the President conferred upon them the 
same degree. 

The Clerk of the Board of Trustees finally announced: 
" The Dean of the Faculty will present in Archaeology, 
Philology, Literature, and Art." Dean Murray then pre- 
sented the distinguished gentlemen upon whom the degrees 
of doctor of laws, doctor of letters, or doctor of music were 
to be conferred in recognition of their services in the above- 
mentioned fields, and the President received them with the 



156 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

same address, but using the words "legibus," " litteris hu- 
manioribus," or "musica," as occasion demanded. 

When the groups of scholars presented by the Reverend 
Professor Shields, Professor Young, Professor Sloane, and 
the Dean of the Faculty had thus received their honorary 
degrees, the Clerk of the Board of Trustees said: " I have 
the honor to announce that the Trustees of Princeton Uni- 
versity have conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws in 
absentia upon the following persons : 

The Right Honorable the LORD KELVIN, 

Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. 

OTTO VON STRUVE, 

Formerly Director of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory at 
Pulkova, Russia." 

Then, removing his cap, the Clerk of the Board of Trus- 
tees announced that the ceremony of conferring the hon- 
orary degrees was concluded. It had been followed with 
great interest by the spectators, and was indeed a notable 
sight. The groups of honored and in many cases venerable 
men who stood arrayed in Princeton hoods before Presi- 
dent Patton and were by him welcomed first in formal 
Latin, and then with informal cordiality in English and with 
a grasp of his hand, into fellowship with the long roll of 
Princeton's alumni; the brief but effective remarks of those 
who presented them ; the hearty recognition given by all 
present to some of the most celebrated recipients, — all this 
composed a scene of academic ceremony unique in this 
country. The recipients of the honorary degree of Doctor 
of Divinity were: 

The Reverend Professor WILLIS JUDSON BEECHER, 
Auburn Theological Seminary, Auburn, New York. 

The Reverend Professor WILLIAM CAVEN, 

Principal of Knox College, Toronto, and Professor of Exegetics and 
Biblical Criticism, Toronto, Canada. 



■■^ 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 157 

The Reverend Doctor MORGAN DIX, 

Rector of Trinity Church, New York City. 
The Reverend Professor GEORGE PARK FISHER, 

Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Dean of the Divin- 
ity School in Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. 

The Reverend Doctor WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, 

Rector of Grace Church, New York City. 
Bishop JOHN FLETCHER HURST, 

Chancellorofthe American University, Washington, District of Columbia. 

The Reverend Professor CHARLES MARSH MEAD, 

Riley Professor of Christian Theology in the Hartford Theological 
Seminary, Connecticut. 

The Reverend Doctor SIMON JOHN McPHERSON, 

Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois. 

The Reverend Doctor SAMUEL JACK NICCOLLS, 

Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Saint Louis, Missouri. 

The Reverend Professor MATTHEW BROWN RIDDLE, 

Memorial Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis in the 
Western Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

The Right Reverend HENRY YATES SATTERLEE, 

Bishop of Washington, District of Columbia. 
The Reverend Doctor JOSEPH TATE SMITH, 

Baltimore, Maryland. 
The Reverend Professor AUGUSTUS HOPKINS STRONG, 

President of Rochester Theological Seminary and Davies Professor of 
Biblical Theology, Rochester, New York. 

The Reverend Professor JOSEPH HENRY THAYER, 

Bussey Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation in 
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



The recipients of the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws 
were: 

JAMES BURRILL ANGELL, 

President of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 
MAURICE BLOOMFIELD, 

Professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology in the Johns Hopkins 
University, Baltimore, Maryland. 



158 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

KARL BRUGMANN, 

Professor of Indogermanic Philology in the University of Leipzig, 
Germany. 

JOHN BATES CLARK, 

Professor of Political Economy in Columbia University, New York City. 

JOHANNES CONRAD, 

Professor of Political Economy in the University of Halle, Germany. 

WILHELM DORPFELD, 

First Secretary of the German Archaeological Institute, Athens, Greece. 

EDWARD DOWDEN, 

Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature in Trinity College, 
Dublin, Ireland. 

JOSIAH WILLARD GIBBS, 

Professor of Mathematical Physics in Yale University, New Haven, 
Connecticut. 

DANIEL COIT OILMAN, 

President of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. 

GEORGE LINCOLN GOODALE, 

Fisher Professor of Natural History and Director of the Botanical 
Garden in Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

WILLIAM GARDNER HALE, 

Professor of Latin in the University of Chicago, Chicago, lUinois. 

The Honorable WILLIAM TORREY HARRIS, 

United States Commissioner of Education, Washington, District of 
Columbia. 

CHARLES CUSTIS HARRISON, 

Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE WILLIAM HILL, 

President of the American Mathematical Society, West Nyack, New 



ARNOLD AMBROSIUS WILLEM HUBRECHT, 

Professor of Zoology in the University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Holland. 

WILLIAM JAMES, 

Professor of Psychology in Harvard University, Cambridge, Massa- 
chusetts. 



^■^■■BHH 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 159 

FELIX KLEIN, 

Professor of Mathematics in the University of Gottingen, Gottingen, 
Germany. 

The Reverend GEORGE TRUMBULL LADD, 

Clark Professor of Moral Philosophy and Metaphysics in Yale Uni- 
versity, New Haven, Connecticut. 

SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY, 

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of 
Columbia. 

HENRY CHARLES LEA, 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

JOSEPH LeCONTE, 

Professor of Geology and Natural History in the University of Cali- 
fornia and President of the American Geological Society, Berkeley, 
California. 

JAMES LOUDON, 

President of the University of Toronto, Canada. 

SETH LOW, 

President of Columbia University, New York City. 

JOHN WILLIAM MALLET, 

Professor of Chemistry in the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 
Virginia. 

SILAS WEIR MITCHELL, 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

HENRI MOISSAN, 

Professor of Chemistry in the University of Paris and Member of the 
French Academy of Sciences, Paris. 

SIMON NEWCOMB, 

Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy in the Johns Hopkins Uni- 
versity, Baltimore, and Director of the Nautical Almanac, Wash- 
ington, District of Columbia. 

WILLIAM PETERSON, 

Principal of McGill University and Professor of Classics, Montreal, 
Canada. 

EDWARD BAGNALL POULTON, 

Hope Professor of Zoology in the University of Oxford, Oxford, 
England. 



160 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

IRA REMSEN, 

Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Chemical Laboratory in the 
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. 

HENRY AUGUSTUS ROWLAND, 

Professor of Physics and Director of the Physical Laboratory in the 
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. 

ANDREW SETH, 

Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in the University of Edinburgh, 
Scotland. 

GOLDWIN SMITH, 

Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and formerly Regius Professor of 
Modern History in the University of Oxford, Toronto, Canada. 

JOSEPH JOHN THOMSON, 

Cavendish Professor of Physics in the University of Cambridge, Cam- 
bridge, England. 

BENJAMIN IDE WHEELER, 

Professor of Greek in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. 



The recipients of the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters 
were : 

HENRY MARTYN BAIRD, 

Professor of the Greek Language and Literature in New York Univer- 
sity, New York City. 

RICHARD WATSON GILDER, 

Editor of "The Century," New York City. 

THOMAS RAYNESFORD LOUNSBURY, 

Professor of English in Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. 

FRANCIS ANDREW MARCH, 

Professor of the English Language and Comparative Philology in 
Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. 

HORACE ELISHA SCUDDER, 

Editor of "The Atlantic Monthly," Boston, Massachusetts. 

CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER, 
New York City. 



iwHinan 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 161 

The following gentleman received the honorary degree of 
Doctor of Music : 

EDWARD ALEXANDER McDOWELL, 

Professor of Music in Columbia University, New York City. 

When the stir occasioned by this ceremony had subsided, 
the orchestra afforded relief to the audience, somewhat ex- 
hausted by close attention with the eye, and then President 
Patton, rising from his seat, expressed regret that the ven- 
erable Lord Kelvin, the distinguished natural philosopher, 
could not be present on this occasion, and read the following 
cable despatch just received from him : 

I heartily congratulate the College and University of Prince- 
ton on the celebration of the one-hundred-and-fiftieth 
year of its beneficent life upon which we look back, and 
on the new developments now organized for continuance 
of good work with ever-increasing energy in the future. 
I regret exceedingly that my university engagements 
in Glasgow make it impossible for me to be present at 
Princeton on this occasion, and I ask the University and 
its friends now assembled to accept this telegraphic ex- 
pression of my cordial sympathy and good wishes. 

Kelvin. 

The reading was received with applause. President Pat- 
ton then said : 

It was our heart's desire to confer still another degree on 
this occasion, but the distinguished gentleman upon 
whom we wished to confer it has seen fit to use the 
sovereign power of the American people which he rep- 
resents in the interests of his own modesty, and there 
was nothing left for us to do but to treat his wishes as 



162 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

a command. We are, however, much gratified that we 
meet this morning in the favoring presence of the Chief 
Magistrate of our country. It would have pleased us 
to honor ourselves in honoring him, and in so doing to 
bear public testimony to our high appreciation of his 
public services and strong, patriotic position in this, the 
hour of his nation's trial. We thank him with full and 
overflowing hearts to-day for leaving the cares of ex- 
ecutive business in order that he may grace our aca- 
demic festival, and we thank him for the willingness 
that he has expressed in response to our urgent invita- 
tion to say a few words on this occasion which inaugu- 
rates Princeton University. 

Ladies and Gentlemen : I have the great honor of 
presenting to you the President of the United States. 

When President Cleveland arose the entire audience rose 
to greet him, and burst into enthusiastic and deafening 
applause. The Princeton cheer, with the conclusion "Cleve- 
land, Cleveland, Cleveland," rang with perfect solidity and 
unanimity of sound from gallery and house alike. Ladies 
clapped their hands and waved their handkerchiefs. The 
ovation continued until the President was manifestly touched 
and gratified. Finally, when the orchestra drowned the 
cheering with a few strains of " Hail Columbia," in the 
midst of breathless silence he read slowly and impressively 
the following words : 

Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen : 
As those in different occupations and with different train- 
ing each see most plainly in the same landscape 
view those features which are the most nearly related 
to their several habitual environments, so, in our con- 
templation of an event or an occasion, each individual 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 163 

especially observes and appreciates, in the light his mode 
of thought supplies, such of its features and incidents as 
are most in harmony with his mental situation. 

To-day, while all of us warmly share the general 
enthusiasm and felicitation which pervade this assem- 
blage, I am sure its various suggestions and meanings 
assume a prominence in our respective fields of mental 
vision dependent upon their relation to our experience 
and condition. Those charged with the management 
and direction of the educational advantages of this noble 
institution most plainly see, with well-earned satisfaction, 
proofs of its growth and usefulness, and its enhanced 
opportunities for doing good. The graduate of Prince- 
ton sees first the evidence of a greater glory and 
prestige that have come to his Alma Mater, and the 
added honor thence reflected upon himself, while those 
still within her student halls see most prominently the 
promise of an increased dignity which awaits their grad- 
uation from Princeton University. 

But there are others here, not of the family of Prince- 
ton, who see with an interest not to be outdone the signs 
of her triumphs on the fields of higher education, and 
the part she has taken during her long and glorious 
career in the elevation and betterment of a great people. 
Among these I take an humble place, and as I yield to 
the influences of this occasion, I cannot resist the train 
of thought which especially reminds me of the promise 
of national safety, and the guaranty of the permanence of 
our free institutions, which may and ought to radiate 
from the universities and colleges scattered throughout 
our land. 

Obviously a government resting upon the will and 
universal suffrage of the people has no anchorage except 
in the people's intelligence. While the advantages of a 



164 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

collegiate education are by no means necessary to good 
citizenship, yet the college graduate, found everywhere, 
cannot smother his opportunities to teach his fellow- 
countrymen and influence them for good, nor hide his 
talents in a napkin, without recreancy to a trust. 

In a nation like ours, charged with the care of 
numerous and widely varied interests, a spirit of con- 
servatism and toleration is absolutely essential. A col- 
legiate training, the study of principles unvexed by 
distracting and misleading influences, and a correct 
apprehension of the theories upon which our republic is 
established, ought to constitute the college graduate a 
constant monitor, warning against popular rashness and 
excess. 

The character of our institutions and our national self- 
interest require that a feeling of sincere brotherhood and 
a disposition to unite in mutual endeavor should pervade 
our people. Our scheme of government in its beginning 
was based upon this sentiment, and its interruption has 
never failed, and can never fail, to grievously menace 
our national health. Who can better caution against 
passion and bitterness than those who know by thought 
and study their baneful consequences, and who are 
themselves within the noble brotherhood of higher 
education ? 

There are natural laws and economic truths which 
command implicit obedience, and which should unalter- 
ably fix the bounds of wholesome popular discussion 
and the limits of political strife. The knowledge gained 
in our universities and colleges would be sadly deficient 
if its beneficiaries were unable to recognize and point out 
to their fellow-citizens these truths and natural laws, and 
to teach the mischievous futility of their non-observance 
or attempted violation. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 165 

The activity of our people, and their restless desire 
to gather to themselves especial benefits and advantages, 
lead to the growth of an unconfessed tendency to re- 
gard their government as the giver of private gifts, and 
to look upon the agencies for its administration as the 
distributors of official places and preferment. Those 
who in university or college have had an opportunity to 
study the mission of our institutions, and who in the 
light of history have learned the danger to a people 
from their neglect of the patriotic care they owe the 
national life entrusted to their keeping, should be well 
fitted to constantly admonish their fellow-citizens that 
the usefulness and beneficence of their plan of govern- 
ment can only be preserved through their unselfish and 
loving support, and their contented willingness to accept 
in full return the peace, protection, and opportunity 
which it impartially bestows. 

Not more surely do the rules of honesty and good 
faith fix the standard of individual character in a com- 
munity than do these same rules determine the character 
and standing of a nation in the world of civilization. 
Neither the glitter of its power, nor the tinsel of its com- 
mercial prosperity, nor the gaudy show of its people's 
wealth, can conceal the cankering rust of national dis- 
honesty, and cover the meanness of national bad faith. 
A constant stream of thoughtful, educated men should 
come from our universities and colleges preaching na- 
tional honor and integrity, and teaching that a belief in 
the necessity of national obedience to the laws of God is 
not born of superstition. 

I do not forget the practical necessity of political par- 
ties, nor do I deny their desirability. I recognize 
wholesome differences of opinion touching legitimate 
governmental policies, and would by no means control 



166 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

or limit the utmost freedom in their discussion. I have 
only attempted to suggest the important patriotic ser- 
vice which our institutions of higher education and their 
graduates are fitted to render to our people, in the en- 
forcement of those immutable truths and fundamental 
principles which are related to our national condition, 
but should never be dragged into the field of pohtical 
strife, nor impressed into the service of partisan con- 
tention. 

When the excitement of party warfare presses dan- 
gerously near our national safeguards, I would have the 
intelligent conservatism of our universities and colleges 
warn the contestants in impressive tones against the 
perils of a breach impossible to repair. 

When popular discontent and passion are stimulated 
by the arts of designing partisans to a pitch perilously 
near to class hatred or sectional anger, I would have 
our universities and colleges sound the alarm in the 
name of American brotherhood and fraternal dependence. 

When the attempt is made to delude the people into 
the behef that their suffrages can change the operation 
of natural laws, I would have our universities and col- 
leges proclaim that those laws are inexorable and far 
removed from political control. 

When selfish interest seeks undue private benefit 
through governmental aid, and public places are claimed 
as rewards of party service, I would have our univer- 
sities and colleges persuade the people to a relinquish- 
ment of the demand for party spoils and exhort them to 
a disinterested and patriotic love of their government for 
its own sake, and because in its true adjustment and un- 
perverted operation it secures to every citizen his just 
share of the safety and prosperity it holds in store for all. 

When a design is apparent to lure the people from 



■■■Hlli 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 167 

their honest thoughts, and to bhnd their eyes to the sad 
pHght of national dishonor and bad faith, I would have 
Princeton University, panoplied in her patriotic tradi- 
tions and glorious memories, and joined by all the other 
universities and colleges of our land, cry out against the 
infliction of this treacherous and fatal wound. 

I would have the influence of these institutions on the 
side of religion and morality. I would have those they 
send out among the people not ashamed to acknowledge 
God, and to proclaim His interposition in the affairs of 
men, enjoining such obedience to His laws as makes 
manifest the path of national perpetuity and prosperity. 

I hasten to concede the good already accomplished by 
our educated men in purifying and steadying political 
sentiment, but I hope I may be allowed to intimate my 
belief that their work in these directions would be 
easier and more useful if it were less spasmodic and 
occasional. The disposition of our people is such that, 
while they may be inclined to distrust those who only 
on rare occasions come among them from an exclusive- 
ness savoring of assumed superiority, they readily listen 
to those who exhibit a real fellowship and a friendly and 
habitual interest in all that concerns the common wel- 
fare. Such a condition of intimacy would, I believe, 
not only improve the general political atmosphere, but 
would vastly increase the influence of our universities 
and colleges in their efforts to prevent popular delusions 
or correct them before they reach an acute and danger- 
ous stage. I am certain, therefore, that a more constant 
and active participation in political affairs on the part of 
our men of education would be of the greatest possible 
value to our country. 

It is exceedingly unfortunate that politics should be 
regarded in any quarter as an unclean thing, to be 



168 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

avoided by those claiming to be educated or respectable. 
It would be strange, indeed, if anything related to the 
administration of our government or the welfare of our 
nation should be essentially degrading. I believe it is 
not a superstitious sentiment that leads to the conviction 
that God has watched over our national life from its 
beginning. Who will say that the things worthy of 
God's regard and fostering care are unworthy of the 
touch of the wisest and best of men ? 

I would have those sent out by our universities and 
colleges not only the counsellors of their fellow-country- 
men, but the tribunes of the people — fully appreciating 
every condition that presses upon their daily life, sym- 
pathetic in every untoward situation, quick and earnest 
in every effort to advance their happiness and welfare, 
and prompt and sturdy in the defence of all their rights. 

I have but imperfectly expressed the thoughts to 
which I have not been able to deny utterance on an 
occasion so full of glad significance, and so pervaded by 
the atmosphere of patriotic aspiration. Born of these 
surroundings, the hope cannot be vain that the time is 
at hand when all our countrymen will more deeply 
appreciate the blessings of American citizenship, when 
their disinterested love of their government will be 
quickened, when fanaticism and passion shall be ban- 
ished from the field of politics, and when all our people, 
discarding every difference of condition or opportunity, 
will be seen under the banner of American brotherhood, 
marching steadily and unfalteringly on towards the 
bright heights of our national destiny. 

As no address more suited to the hour and the audience 
could possibly have been made, so no speaker could have 
found more attentive and sympathetic listeners; and if the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 169 

welcome they gave to the President was enthusiastic, their 
reception of his words was overwhelming. Round after 
round of cheering rose from the great assemblage of college 
graduates. Every variety of Princeton cheer rent the air. 
To each salvo was added " Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleve- 
land," and finally three cheers were given for Mrs. Cleve- 
land. The orchestra and organ at last managed to make 
themselves heard through the thundering volleys of cheers. 
As they played the well-known music of "America," the 
vast throng, which had been standing through the cheer- 
ing, with one voice took up the national hymn with the 
deepest patriotic fervor: 



My country, 'tis of thee, 
Sweet land of liberty, 

Of thee I sing. 
Land where my fathers died, 
Land of the pilgrims' pride, 
From every mountain side 

Let freedom ring. 



My native country, — thee. 
Land of the noble, free, 

Thy name I love ; 
I love thy rocks and rills, 
Thy woods and templed hills,— 
My heart with rapture thrills, 

Like that above. 

Our fathers' God, — to Thee, 
Author of liberty. 

To Thee we sing ; 
Long may our land be bright 
With freedom's holy light, — 
Protect us by Thy might, 

Great God, our King. 



170 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

The benediction was pronounced by the Right Reverend 
Henry Yates Satterlee, Bishop of Washington. The audi- 
ence resumed their seats until President and Mrs. Cleve- 
land, with their host and hostess, President and Mrs. Patton, 
had left the building. 

Immediately after the exercises in Alexander Hall, Presi- 
dent and Mrs. Patton entertained at a luncheon the Presi- 
dent of the United States and Mrs. Cleveland, with the 
delegates and other invited guests ; and at three o'clock 
the hospitable gates of Prospect were thrown open to a 
larger number of persons invited to meet President and 
Mrs. Cleveland. The many hundreds who availed them- 
selves of this invitation were introduced first to Doctor and 
Mrs. Patton at the main door of the large drawing-room, 
and by them presented to the President and Mrs. Cleveland. 
An opportunity was given not only to meet the distin- 
guished guests, but also to wander over the terraces and 
enjoy the beautiful landscape to which the mansion owes 
its name of Prospect. At about five o'clock the President 
and his party were escorted by the City Troop to the sta- 
tion, and left Princeton for Washington. 

The University Musical Clubs gave a concert of student 
music in Alexander Hall in the evening. It was attended by 
a large audience. The programme performed was : 

Part I. 

1. The Orange and the Black . . Carmina Princetonia. 

Glee Club. 

2. Anniversary Rosey. 

Banjo Club. 

3. Old Black Joe Foster. 

^. T. Carter, Jr., '86, and Glee Club. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 171 

4. Spring Song Mendelssohn 

Mandolin Club. 

5. Steps Song Carmina Princetonia. 

Glee Club. 

6. Princeton Warble Arranged. 

D. H. McAlpin, '85, assisted by R. J. McDowell, '^4, 
and Glee Club. 

Part II. 

1. College National Hymn .... Ernest T. Carter, '88. 

Glee Club and Organ. 

2. Anvil Chorus (descriptive piece) . .... Arranged. 

Banjo Club. 

3. " On the Road to Mandalay" Prince. 

James Barnes, 'p/, and Glee Club. 

4. Rubinstein's Melody Rubinstein. 

Mandolin Club. 

5. "Thy Blue Eyes" Bohm. 

R. J. McDowell, '^4. 

6. " Old Nassau " Carmina Princetonia. 

Glee Club. 

Meanwhile the official guests, the benefactors of the Uni- 
versity, and the faculty were invited by the trustees to 
attend a Farewell Dinner at eight o'clock in Assembly Hall. 
About two hundred and fifty persons were present, sitting 
at long tables, while Mr. Charles E. Green, the toast-master. 
President Patton, the speakers of the evening, and several 
other gentlemen sat on the platform at the high table. 

On the floor were fifteen tables, each presided over by 
some Princeton trustee or professor or alumnus as table- 
host. At the far end of the dining-hall a ladies' gallery had 



172 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

been constructed, and it was well filled when the time for 
the speaking began. The ceiling was completely draped 
in orange and black. The walls were hung with dull-col- 
ored cloth, as a background for displaying large painted 
shields of representative European and American univer- 
sities. These shields, painted by Mr. W. S. Whitehead, '91, 
were mounted in gilded cartouches and added much to the 
attractiveness of the hall. Above the speakers' table was 
a group of flags of all the countries represented at the 
celebration. 

At the close of the dinner Mr. Green spoke of the 
pleasure which it gave him to introduce a representative of 
the oldest living university, save Bologna, and called upon 
M. Henri Moissan, Professor of Chemistry in the Univer- 
sity of Paris, and member of the French Academy of 
Sciences, who replied as follows: 

Nous avons tons un grand respect pour la vieillesse, 
et nous aimons a entendre de la bouche des personnes 
agees ces souvenirs et ces comparaisons qui sont pour 
nous comme les legons du passe. Princeton a cent 
cinquante ans d'existence, cent cinquante ans d'une vie 
de travail et d'un travail ininterrompu. On comprend que 
tons ses amis se reunissent aujourd'hui pour lui apporter 
en un bouquet I'hommage de leurs meilleures pensees. 

Ces cent cinquante annees d'echange quotidien de 
I'idee, entre les maitres et les eleves, ont cree des tra- 
ditions, ont etabli un courant intellectuel. C'est la 
premiere chose qui frappe I'etranger a son arriv^e a 
Princeton. 

J'ai beaucoup admire votre belle installation, au milieu 
des arbres et de la verdure, vos collections, vos salles 
d'etude, vos maisons d'etudiants, votre gymnase, et le 
soin que vous prenez pour developper le corps en meme 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 173 

temps que I'esprit. J'ai admire aussi avec quel enthou- 
siasme de genereux donateurs vont au devant de vos 
desirs et mettent une partie de leur fortune au service de 
la haute culture intellectuelle. 

Vos generations d'el^ves sont pleines de seve et d'ac- 
tivite, comme ces beaux pieds de lierre touffus et vigou- 
reux qui entourent le vieux batiment de Nassau, le foyer 
de votre universite. 

On sent dans votre college les liens affectueux qui 
unissent les maitres aux eleves. C'est qu'en effet, si les 
larges constructions, si les grands laboratoires, si les 
spacieuses bibliotheques sont utiles, il est quelque chose 
de plus indispensable, c'est le lien moral qui r6unit le 
tout, c'est I'esprit qui dirige ces enseignements, ce sont les 
recherches nouvelles poursuivies, dans des voies dif- 
ferentes, par les professeurs, ce sont les sentiments de 
reconnaissance des eleves ; tout cela c'est I'ame meme 
de I'universite. 

Aussi nous sommes heureux de voir que votre uni- 
versite s'appuie en grande partie sur I'enseignement donne 
a I'ecole de Lawrenceville. Vous preparez les esprits, 
par une bonne instruction secondaire, a la culture supe- 
rieure de Princeton. 

Croyez bien que toutes ces choses sont connues et 
suivies en France avec le plus vif interet. Rien de ce 
qui se fait dans la grande Republique americaine n'est 
indifferent a la Republique fran9aise. Nous n'avons pas 
oublie que dans un temps deja lointain nos grands peres 
ont mele leur sang au votre sur les champs de bataille 
pour la cause sacree de votre independence. Et quand 
vous luttez sur un nouveau terrain, quand vos univer- 
sites prennent un developpement, un essor inattendu, 
quand dans I'astronomie, dans la physique, dans la pale- 
ontologie, dans I'histoire, vous devenez des maitres 



174 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

incontestes, la France applaudit a vos efforts et a vos 
succes. 

Aussi je suis personnellement heureux d'avoir ete 
choisi par I'Universite de Paris pour vous apporter tous 
ses voeux et toutes ses felicitations. Le College de 
Princeton a deja grave son nom dans I'histoire des 
Etats-Unis, c'est le passe ; je bois a I'avenir, je leve 
mon verre en I'honneur de I'Universite de Princeton. 

The regular toasts of the evening were responded to as 
follows : Theology, by Professor George Park Fisher, 
Dean of the Yale Divinity School; Philosophy, by Pro- 
fessor Andrew Seth of the University of Edinburgh; Juris- 
prudence, by the Honorable William B. Hornblower of 
New York ; Mathematics, by Professor Felix Klein of the 
University of Gottingen; the Natural Sciences, by Pro- 
fessor Arnold Ambrosius Willem Hubrecht of the Uni- 
versity of Utrecht; the Physical Sciences, by Professor Ira 
Remsen of the Johns Hopkins University; History, by 
Professor Goldwin Smith of Toronto; Literature, by Pro- 
fessor Edward Dowden of Trinity College, Dublin ; and 
the Higher Education, by the Honorable William T. Harris 
of Washington. 

Some of these speeches bore more or less directly upon 
the subjects of the toasts, and were additionally valuable for 
that reason ; others were of a less formal character, and none 
the less interesting for that. The gentlemen from other 
lands, who had won so many friends among Princetonians by 
their lectures here, were received with the greatest cordiality 
and spoke with warm feeling. An especially hearty reception 
was given to the deep expressions of good will which exist 
between the scholars of Great Britain and the United States, 
and to the frequent mention of the ties which bind Prince- 
ton to the universities of the mother country. Professor 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 175 

Seth gave first voice to these fraternal sentiments, which 
were enforced with great earnestness by Mr. Goldwin 
Smith; while the heartfelt words and kindly face of Pro- 
fessor Dowden went far to make this spirit of international 
concord the dominant note of the evening. Finally, in 
terms as eloquent as any others which the Sesquicentennial 
Celebration evoked, and with emotion he found it hard to 
restrain, President Patton thanked the guests of Princeton 
University for their participation in her jubilee; thanked 
them for leaving their homes and their important duties, 
and coming from far and near to spend three days with us; 
thanked especially the delegates who had crossed the 
ocean to bear the greetings of older universities in other 
lands, and wished them God-speed home again. And with 
this the Sesquicentennial Celebration ended. 

The Sesquicentennial guests were not allowed to scatter 
to all parts of the earth without being honored in New 
York City, whence most of the European delegates were to 
sail on Saturday, October 24. Mr. Morris K. Jesup, the 
President of the American Museum of Natural History, 
hurried forward the preparation of two new exhibitions, that 
of Vertebrate Palaeontology and that of Ethnology, in order 
to open the halls containing them in honor of Princeton's 
guests. All the leading educational and public institutions 
of the city were invited to send representatives, and the 
members of the faculty of Princeton University also re- 
ceived an invitation. 

On the afternoon of the reception the entire museum was 
lighted. The ceremonies included a speech of welcome in 
the Trustees' Room, by the President of the Museum, Mr. 
Morris K. Jesup. The visitors met the trustees who were 
present, and were then introduced to Professor F. W. Put- 
nam, Curator of the Department of Ethnology and An- 



176 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



thropology, and were conducted through his exhibit, as 
arranged chiefly by Dr. Franz Boas. They then mounted to 
the hall containing the Fossil Mammals of North America, 
and were introduced to the curator. Professor Henry Fair- 
field Osborn. The screen was withdrawn and the hall 
opened for the first time after five years of continuous ex- 
ploration in the West. The exhibition also includes the 
famous Cope Collection, the larger part of which had not 
been seen by the public before. Then on the evening of 
Friday, the 23d, the University Club in the City of New 
York gave a reception and dinner to the foreign delegates 
at the Club House at Twenty-sixth Street and Madison 
Avenue. The Reception Committee was as follows : 



Tompkins McIlvaine. 

Edward Mitchell. 

Robert Bridges. 

Arthur Lincoln. 

Charles Bulkley Hubbell. 

Gherardi Davis. 

James R. Sheffield (Chairman). 

Samuel R. Betts. 

Sherman Evarts. 

Grosvenor Atterbury. 

Charles Rowland Russell. 

Lawrence E. Sexton. 

W. K. Draper. 

Carl A. de Gersdorff. 

Austen G. Fox. 

Almon Goodwin. 

Grosvenor S. Hubbard. 

Henry D. Cooper. 

AsHTON Le Moine. 

Tracy H. Harris. 

Jacob W. Miller. 

Charles K. Beekman. 



William B. Hornblower. 
William W. Hoppin. 
Robert L. Harrison. 
Arthur H. Masten, 
Robert C. Alexander. 
Henry W. Calhoun. 
Henry A. James. 
Allison V. Armour. 
Francis V. Greene. 
George Blagden, Jr. 
R. W. G. Welling. 
Eugene D. Hawkins. 
Henry W. Hardan. 
Walter G. Oakman. 
Edward B. Merrill. 
George A. Plimpton. 
Berkeley Mastyn. 
C. Ledyard Blair. 
Henry Marquand. 
James McKeen. 
M. Taylor Pyne. 



The following invitation to the reception was sent out : 



olie ibnlvezdlty (otuh in tlie (oittj of Ihew '^IJozli 

zecjuedtd the kotioz of ijoat coinpaiitj 

on cjziday evening, Uctobez the twenti/-thizcl, 

eighteen handzed and ninety -dix, 

at half padt nine o clock, to meet 

J=>%ofeddot cftleduck SlDatl cJDULgmann of Joeipdlc, Mtofeddot 
ojokatined (bontad of ahaUe, cJljevetend Jjocto'c WiUtam 
(Daven of dotontOf <^ix ^J, wUliam .JjaxvJon of cyJboiitzeal, 
Wilfielni JJozpfeid of a^t fiend, U^tofeddoz Sdwatd Jjowden 
of Jjublln, ^tofeddot oB,. a^, \V, ahiibteclit of Ihttec/it, 
Jotofeddot cFeLix (yhUin of ydttin^en, Jowfeddot cnoenu 
cy/hotddati of J^atid, UDtincipal wlluam J^eterdon of c)/bont- 
teal/ J^tofeddot Sdwatd (yDagtiaU Jooulton of Oxfotd, Jc^tof- 
eddot Chndtew (Sretk of c? diabwc^ ii , UDtofeddot. C/oldwln &mtm 
of Ootonto and Jotofeddot ^odepk ^olm akonidon of Gam- 
btldge, delegated ftom foteign unlve'Cdltied tti attendance at the 
(^equicentennlai Gelebzation of J^tlnceton Ibnwetdity. 

Glxa'cied G. cJSeaman, \ 

of the (Sc 



ciP P c/p I I \ (Special (oommlttee 

cADenzi/ o . cJiDowLand, f r .1 /o -/ 



a, dtank c/Stownell, 

8l3> d, V, p. 

%wentii-dixtk Street and cJllDadidon (S^venue. 



17T 



178 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

This invitation was accepted by the following citizens 
of New York and other persons : 

The Honorable William L. Strong, Mayor of New York City. 

Members of the Judiciary. 

Judge Gildersleeve. Judge Barrett. 

Judge Patterson. Judge Ingraham. 

Judge Haight. Judge Wallace. 

Judge Rumsey. Judge MacLean. 

Judge Williams. Judge Bischoff. 

Judge Bookstaver. Judge Lawrence. 

Officers of the Army and Navy of the United States. 

Rear-Admiral Erben. Colonel William C. Church. 

Rear-Admiral Bunce. Commodore Sicard. 

General Ruger. Captain A. T. Mahan. 

Doctor E. S. Bogert. Professor Peter S. Michie. 

Consuls. 

Hon. Percy Sanderson. Hon. E. Bruwaert. 

Hon. John R. Planten. Hon. A. Feigel. 



Hon. D. U. 



Clergymen. 



The Reverend Percy S. Grant. 

The Reverend Dr. W. R. Huntington. 

The Reverend Dr. David H. Greer. 

The Reverend Dr. Lyman Abbott. 

The Reverend Dr. Robert Collyer. 

The Reverend Dr. MacArthur. 

The Reverend Dr. John Hall. 

The Reverend Edward Judson. 

The Reverend Dr. Joseph H. Twichell. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 179 

Physicians. 



Dr. J. D. Bryant. 

Dr. Francis Delafield. 

Dr. W. T. LusK. 



Dr. T. Addis Emmet, 
Dr. Lewis A. Stimson. 



Educators. 



Columbia University. 
President Seth Low. 
Professor John W. Burgess. 
Professor E. D. Perry. 
Professor J. K. Rees. 
Professor F. R. Hutton. 
Professor J. H. Van Amringe. 
Professor Henry Drisler. 
Professor W. H. Carpenter. 



Professor Brander Matthews. 
Dr. William H. Draper. 
Mr. George H. Baker. 
Professor A. V. W. Jackson. 
Professor H, T. Peck. 
Professor Robert S. Woodward. 
Professor Henry S. Munroe. 



Yale Uiiiversity. 

Professor A. T. Hadley. Professor O. C. Marsh. 

Professor George J. Brush. Professor A. W, Wright. 
Professor W. W. Farnham. Professor Tracy Peck. 

Professor William L. Phelps. 



Harvard. 



Professor F. W. Putnam. 



The Normal College. 

President Thomas Hunter. 

Professor Harold Jacoby. 
Barnard College. 

Mr. Silas B. Brownell, Trustee. 



College of the City of New York. 

President Alexander S. Webb. 
Professor R. Ogden Doremus. 



Hobart College. 



President Potter. 



180 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Stevens Institute. 

Professor Henry Morton. 

Professor A. R. Leeds. 
Amherst College. 

Professor B. K. Emerson. 
Lehigh U^iivcrsity. 

Professor W. H. Chandler. 
Rutgers College. 

President Austin Scott. 
Roanoke College. 

President Julius D. Dreher. 

New York University. 

Chancellor H. M. MacCracken. 
Professor Henry M. Baird. 

Muhlenberg College. 

President Theodore L. Slip. 

The University of Pennsylvania. 

Professor George F. Barker. 
Daidmouth College. 

Professor Charles F. Mathewson. 
Brown University. 

Professor Francis Lawton. 

Wesley an University. 

Professor C. T. Winchester. 
Professor J. C. Van Benschoten. 

The Teachers College. 

President Walter L. Hervey. 

The American Museum of Natural Hi stoiy. 
Professor A. S. Bickmore. 

The Geiteral Theological Seminary. 
Dean Hoffman. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



181 



The University of Texas. 

Professor George Bruce Halsted. 



Princeton University. 

The Honorable William J. Magie, Trustee. 

The Reverend Dr. David R, Frazer, Trustee. 

The Reverend Dr. John Dixon, Trustee. 

Professor A. T. Ormond. 

Professor Henry Dallas Thompson. 

Professor L. W. McCay. 

Professor C. F. W. McClure, 

Professor C. G. Rockwood, Jr. 
Also 



Mr. S. P. Avery. 
Mr. John Crosby Brown. 
Mr. C. C. Buel. 
Prof. J. G. Croswell. 
Mr. Andrev^ Carnegie. 
Mr. Walter Damrosch. 
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew. 
Mr. Wilberforce Eames. 
Hon. Dorman B. Eaton. 
Hon. Chas. S. Fairchild. 
Mr. R. W. Gilder. 
Mr. Parke Godwin. 
Mr. E. L. Godkin. 
Mr. James D. Hague. 
Hon. Abram S. Hewitt. 
Mr. Wm. D. Howells. 



Mr. Oliver P. Hubbard. 
Mr. Robert U. Johnson. 
Mr. RossiTER Johnson. 
Mr. Morris K. Jesup. 
Mr. Edward King. 
Hon. Joseph Larocque. 
Mr. Robbins Little. 
Mr. S. P. Nash. 
Mr. Wm. L. Parker. 
Mr. George Haven Putnam. 
Mr. E. A. Quintard. 
Mr. Benjamin Silliman. 
Mr. Albert Shaw. 
Mr. Russell Sturgis. 
Mr. James Grant Wilson. 
Dr. W. J. YouMANS. 



The Council of the University Club also had invited the 
delegates from abroad to dine with them that evening at 
seven, just before the reception. Altogether the entertain- 
ment offered by the University Club of New York was a 
most fitting and delightful sequel to the Sesquicentennial 
festivities. 



182 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



List of Contributions to the Sesquicentennial 

Endowment Fund of Princeton University 

UP TO June i, 1897. 

Besides the specific sums of money detailed in the fol- 
lowing list, mention should be made of the organ and mo- 
saic panels in Alexander Hall, presented by Mrs. Charles B. 
Alexander ; the extensive collection of Virgils, estimated at 
$50,000, presented by Mr. Junius S. Morgan, of the class 
of 1888; an annual subscription of $600 made by Mr. 
Charles W. McAlpin, of the class of 1888; examples of 
South American woods, presented by ex-President Grover 
Cleveland ; a collection of portrait masks, presented by Mr. 
Laurence Hutton of New York ; a collection of minerals, 
presented by Mr. Squiers of New York ; gifts of books from 
Mr. Charles Scribner, of the class of 1875 ; and an engi- 
neering model of the Eads Jetties, presented by Mr. Max 
Schmidt, of Princeton. 

Dr. R. S. Adams, '88, New York, . . . 15.00 

John W. Aitken, '69, New York, . . 5,000.00 

A. Gifford Agnew, New York, . 2,500.00 

Mrs. A. Gifford Agnew, New York, . 10,000.00 

Cornelius R. Agnew, '91, New York, . . i5-00 

Mrs. C. B. Alexander, New York, . 2,500.00 

Henry M. Alexander, Jr., '90, New York, . 25.00 

James W. Alexander, '60, New York, 2,500.00 

Anonymous, ....... 1,000.00 

Anonymous, 1,000.00 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



183 



Anonymous, 5,000.00 

Anonymous, 6,600.00 

Anonymous, 600,000.00 

Anonymous, ...... 250,000.00 

Anonymous, ...... 50,000.00 

John S. Baird, '79, New York, . 25.00 

Hon. John I. Blair, Blairstown, N. J., 150,000.00 

Brokaw Field Committee, ... 380.56 

Hon. John L. Cadwalader, '56, New York, 5,000.00 

Cash, 5.00 

Cash, 114.02 

Estate of Mrs. Clark, Washington, D. C, . 1,000.00 

Class of 1875, 4,000.00 

Class of 1880, 1,366.65 

Class of 1884, ..... ■ 6,000.00 

Class of 1890, miscellaneous cash, . 25.00 

Hugh L. Cole, '59, New York, 50.00 

John H. Converse, Philadelphia, 10,000.00 

Rev. C. L. Cooder, Pottstown, Pa., . . i.oo 

Professor E. C. Coulter, '84, Chicago, . 100.00 

C. C. Cuyler, '79, New York, 4,000.00 

Horatio N. Davis, '73, St. Louis, . . 500.00 

John D. Davis, '72, St. Louis, 3,000.00 

Cleveland H. Dodge, '79, New York, . . 5,000.00 

William Dulles, '78, New York, 50.00 

John P. Duncan, New York, 1,000.00 

R. A. Edwards, '76, Peru, Ind., . . 2,500.00 

E. W. Greenough, '75, Philadelphia, . 200.00 

George H. Griffiths, Philadelphia, . 500.00 

William E. Guy, '65, St. Louis, . 1,000.00 



184 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Rev. Thomas C. Hall, '79, Chicago, . 100.00 

A. O. Headley, Newark, N. J., . . 1,000.00 

Rev. Alexander Henry, '70, Philadelphia, 50.00 

J. Bayard Henry, '76, Philadelphia, . 1,020.00 

Hon. W. B. Hornblower, '71, New York, 1,000.00 

Joseph M. Huston, '92, Philadelphia, . . 500.00 

Andrew C. Imbrie, '95, New York, . . 10.00 

Adrian H. Joline, '70, New York, . . 1,000.00 

Thomas D. Jones, '76, Chicago, . . 2,500.00 

David B. Jones, '76, Chicago, . . 2,500.00 

Miss Mary Kennedy, New York, . . . 10,012.50 

James Laughlin, Jr., '68, Pittsburgh, . 5,000.00 

Hon. I. H. Lionberger, '75, St. Louis, . 1,000.00 

Charles B. Lockhart, Pittsburgh, . . 10,000.00 

Charles H. Macloskie, '87, .... 50.00 

Malcolm MacMartin, '67, New York, . . 1,000.00 

Alexander Maitland, New York, . 5,000.00 

Mrs. Matthews, Newark, N. J., . . 1,000.00 

John D. McCord, Philadelphia, . 1,000.00 

Estate of Cyrus McCormick, Chicago, . 100,000.00 

Fulton McMahon, '84, New York, . 5.00 

Clarence B. Mitchell, '89, Lakewood, N. J., . 10.00 

Mrs. William Moir, New York, . . 5,000.00 

J. E. Nicholson, '88, New York, . . 25.00 

Mrs. William Baton, New York, . . . 1,000.00 

Dr. James Paul, '49, Philadelphia, . . 50.00 

Robert Pitcairn, Pittsburgh, . . 2,000.00 

M. Taylor Pyne, '77, Princeton, . 50,000.00 

Mrs. M. Taylor Pyne, Princeton, . 1,000.00 
John Scott, '79, Philadelphia, .... 25.00 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



185 



Edward W. Sheldon, '79, New York, . 
R. E. Speer, '89, New York, 
Louis D. Speir, '90, New York, . 
Dr. M. Allen Starr, '76, New York, 
Rev. Dr. W. C. Stitt, '56, New York, . 
Mrs. William Thaw, Pittsburgh, 
Rev. S. T.Thompson, '51, Tarpon Springs, 
Transfer from Treasurer's Books, 
George Trotter, '91, New York, . 
T. F. Turner, '89, New York, . 
L. C. Vanuxem, '79, Philadelphia, 
Guy S. Warren, '95, St. Louis, 
Professor H. C. Warren, '89, Princeton, 
Professor J. H. Westcott, '77, Princeton, 
Mrs. Mary L Winthrop, New York, . 
Dr. John E. Woodruff, '70, New York, 
R. L. Zabriskie, '95, Aurora, N. Y., 
Professor A. C. Zenos, Chicago, 



Fla., 



1,000.00 

10.00 

5.00 

10,000.00 

25.00 

10,000.00 

10.00 

50.00 

25.00 

10.00 

50.00 

500.00 

10.00 

250.00 

5,000.00 

100.00 

50.00 

50.00 

$1,361,974.73 





m 










cc cpmvis Uttcrae ^^cstra^ hunianitcr scnptae, quibus ro^ ai\i> ut ^<i 

ncsinsunum aliqucni ab^ os mittanius, <^m fetixs sacc uianbus , 

quag ywycdjg m c^lcbraturi C5ti$, hiuu6^iniv«:r$itati$ nomine intermit. 

mHl os <)iuDg m l-Wbis bcnyne ac Ub^ralitcr inuitantibu^ satbfacg- 

IJBjjg te njstramqug er^a i <?$ «Jbd2ruantiani comm ^cda vavc maxi - 

mc v dUmu g.jSgP cum ItJcorum lon^inqultati? i$ juccrc j»ri?hibeamur, 

c<X)ita tiong g^mylgctimur '^"os a[)scnUe>,»o[[emn\aCi\xe a ob'ie in 

5tituta, quorum ivs et cvmtu ^ propter etubvyrnm^ocidaUm n obiscum 

.vmm ungs gs5g yutai nuft mgntibue atqu^ ammis yros^quimur. 

^^ cccae sarienec (HoUggti' n<?n iia eancvcXvie e^\,nec plusjquam 

c<?njum ct quinquai\iuta anni a primo ciu& (>rtu numcrantur. S^cJ 

^^nia&mi)5um foe^eviX\txc ciuitat^d^quarum c numm civita$ est ' cstm, 

incolarum uirtute^t in&u&tria Ubcrtatidque. cuius semycr dtudi<?da^ 

frunt. bcncficio in enmmae 0VCi> bnjui peruen«jrunt, 5ic cs\m item 
aDcntia ^octcrum hiJminum jilcineque eavientium opera et labore 
quam cc lg rrime o mni Di&cipiinarum ^encrc jloruit. ut iam veti^tbM- 
maru m ^mvygg Oni uer^itatum C>i^nitatem aemulctur^. 

« uare ncs cum alt era cupiniu^ T^obi^ pn?6petv cuenitv. turn jn 
primi& o ytamus. uttJ i^ quo nomine 
jium r?e(?ca e5arien^e nouum saeculum in^ressurum e$tj)lonae 

ygtrim onium a maioribud relictum mocji^ niaciisque auc^eat. lucem- 
que c>octrinae et sapientiae 5uae terrarum orbi tribuere perijat, hoc 
existimanted omnia quaeaD humani j^ enerig c ommo^g, qu ae a^ lau - 
Jem^atque honestatem ijertineant, ^iscipl inarum et artium pro^res^io - 
nc ixc propoflgtione pr gecipue co ntineri. 

|nonia idenMs B(extiUbud Q^OO^OX^W 




>-fl^<?^*<>«* M(mver5itati5 



Reduced Facsimile of the Congratulatory Letter 
of the University of Bologna. 



^art ^econn 



CONGRATULATORY ADDRESSES, LETTERS AND TELE- 
GRAMS RECEIVED FROM UNIVERSITIES, ACADEMIES, 
COLLEGES, SOCIETIES AND INDIVIDUALS, AND ARRANGED 
ALPHABETICALLY UNDER THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS: 

I. UNIVERSITIES, ACADEMIES AND COLLEGES. 

AMERICAN. 
CANADIAN. 
EUROPEAN. 
OTHER COUNTRIES. 

11. ASSOCIATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. 



AMERICAN 



[AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES] 

PRAESES ET SOCII 
ACADEMIAE ARTIUM ET SCIENTIARUM 

VIRIS HONORANDIS AC REVERENDIS 

PRAESIDI ET SOCIIS COLLEGII NEO-CAESARIENSIS 

SALUTEM IN DOMINO SEMPITERNAM 

Cum litterae nobis baud ita pridem vestrae allatae sunt, ubi 
exposuistis, verissime quidem, ea tamen brevitate et modestia, qua 
clarissimi de suis ipsorum gestis disserentes semper usi sunt, quan- 
tam gloriam pro meritis erga scientiam et patriam Collegium Neo- 
Caesariense adeptum sit, prorsusque nuntiastis venerabilem istam 
Academiam, ad novum fastigium cum operum turn honoris ascen- 
dentem, illustrius sibi nomen summo jure esse vindicaturam, nosque 
pro singulari vestra humanitate ad Comitia Maxima in a. d. xi. Kal. 
Novembris proximas amicissime atque honorificentissime advocastis. 

Nos inde, Praeses et Socii Academiae Americanae, isto man- 
dato gratissime audito, legatum Nostrum Gulielmum Edvardi F. 
Olivarii N. Everett, ipsum cum patre et avo in albo societatis nostrae 
conscriptum, in Collegio Harvardiano per gradus inferiores ad gra- 
dum Doctoris in Philosophia elatum, nee non olim Linguae Latinae 
Professorem adjutorium, in Universitate priscae Cantabrigiae Bri- 
tannorum Artium Magistrum, a collegio quoque Gulielmensi gradi- 
bus honorariis Doctoris cum Litterarum Humaniorum tum juris utrius 
autem ad Congressum Rerumpublicarum Foederatarum a civibus 
suis Massachusettensibus legatum, quin etiam Collegio vestro sanc- 
tissimo vinculo annexum, quod abavus ejus, Alexander Sears Hill, 
gradum in artibus apud Neo-Caesarienses est assecutus, creavimus 
et renuntiamus. 

In cujus rei testimonium Secretarius noster manum apposuit 
et sigillum Academiae nostrae apponendum curavit. Virum porro 
ipsum, pro meritis suis vestraque humanitate spectata benigne re- 
cipiatis, non est cur vos precamur. 

Valete,et omnia quae optetis, Deo juvente.felicissime consequimini. 

Datum Bostoniae Nov. Anglorum a. d. Kal. Jun, mdcccxcvi. 

SAM. H. SCUDDER, 

Secretarms. 
191 



[AMHERST college] 

PRAESES ET PROFESSORES 

COLLEGII AMHERSTIENSIS 

VIRIS ILLUSTRISSIMIS DOCTISSIMIS 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS 

IN COLLEGIO NEOCAESARIENSI COMMORANTIBUS 

SALUTEM 

RAESES Professoresque huius Collegii vobis summas 
gratulationes faciunt, quod mox adveniet dies anniver- 
sarius centesimus quinquagesimus, ex quo Collegium 
Neocaesariense conditum est, et a vobis invitati ut participes 
saecularium feriarum essent, quas vos celebraturi estis, gratias 
agunt. Itaque ex suo ordine delegerunt Praesidem Merrill 
Edwards Gates, LL. D., qui ei celebrationi adesset. 

Precantur autem ut rite inaugurata vivat, floreat, augeat 

UNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS. 

Datum Amherstii Massachusettensium die primo Junii 
A. D. MDCCCXCVI, et Collegii Amherstiensis LXXV. 

MERRILL EDWARDS GATES, 

Praeses. 




[ BROWN UNIVERSITY ] 

PRAESES ET PROFESSORES 

^nibersitatis 3Srunen0ts 

VIRIS ILLUSTRISSIMIS ET HONORANDIS 

PRAESIDI ET CURATORIBUS ET PROFESSORIBUS 

Collegti i^eocaesarttnsts 

SALUTEM 

Cum recordemur multos nobilissimos collegii Neocae- 
sariensis viros qui in omni recto studio atque humanitate 
versentur et memoria teneamus quae arta vincula cum omnes 
universitates coniungant tum maxime nostram cum vestra 
academia colligent, Universitatem Brunensem enim quasi 
prolem vestri collegii venerabilis habemus, vobis laeti gra- 
tulamur de praeclaris facinoribus iam effectis atque saeculum 
novum faustum vobis precamur. 

Albertum Harkness delegimus vicarium qui vobiscum 
saecularibus feriis laeteretur atque nos omnes vestrum gau- 
dium gaudebimus. 

ELISAEUS BENJ. ANDREWS, 

Praeses. 

Datum Providentiae 

in Universitate Brunensi 

die septimo Aprilis 

A. D. MDCCCXCVI 



193 



[university of CALIFORNIA] 



cJ he comtnanlcation ftoni J^tinceton 
(Jonivetditif In tefexence to the coining dedcjuicentennial 
celebtatiofi had been ptedented to owe cJSoatd of cJoec/entd, 
q) am indttiicted to daij that we cotdtaiiii accept the 
invitation and name ad out teptedentative on that occadion 
(-Jodepk Joe (oontef Jo>Jo,Jj,, Jotofeddot of yeotogij and 
lOatiitai aiDidtoxij in t/ie Ibnivet^iti/ and Jotedident of the 
a^mezican yeoiogicai &ociety, 

We keattiiij congtatulate Jotinceton 
on hez long and honotahie hidtotij, on het pzedent pxod- 
petitij, and on het ptonii)e of a dtill latget influence in 
the ijeatd to come, 

S have the honoz to he 

JJoLitd in clode.it dympathif, 

aWattin c/oellogg, 

zhzcMclent of the H,bnivexdltij of (oalifotnia, 



cJaetkeley , (bal, 
(S^ptil i^thf l8q6. 



[CARLETON COLLEGE] 



Carleton College, 
NoRTHFiELD, MiNN., May 27, 1896. 

The President and Professors of Carleton College grate- 
fully acknowledge the gracious invitation of the President, 
Trustees and Professors of Princeton College, to attend 
the approaching celebration of her one hundred and fiftieth 
anniversary. They desire to express their appreciation 
of the large contribution to learning, to Christian culture 
and to religious life, which Princeton has made during 
these one hundred and fifty years, and to congratulate her 
on the proposed enlargement of opportunities for pursuing 
the highest educational work. 

They sincerely regret that so far as can now be foreseen, 
it will not be practicable for a representative of Carleton 
College to be present upon the auspicious occasion of the 
opening of Princeton University. 

In behalf of 

The Faculty of Carleton College : 

James Woodward Strong, 

President. 



195 



[catholic university of AMERICA] 

VIRIS ILLUSTRISSIMIS ORNATISSIMIS DOCTISSIMIS 

UNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS 

PHILIPPUS J. GARRIGAN PRO TEMPORE RECTOR 

NECNON PROFESSORES AC DOCTORES 

UNIVERSITATIS CATHOLICAE AMERICANAE 

SALUTEM IN DOMINO 

Cum pro arctissimo illo vinculo quo, quotquot toto terrarum orbe 
florent Universitates litterarum, quasi cognatione quadam inter se conti- 
nentur, laus uniuscujusque ac honos in alias quoque sponte redundet, 
facere omnino non potuimus quin summopere de festis diebus a vobis 
celebrandis una vobiscum gauderemus exoptatamque invitationem ves- 
tram ad nos tarn gratiose transmissam perlibenter exciperemus. 

Utrumque vero eo majori cum laetitia praestitimus atque praestamus, 
quo pluribus artium scientiarumque luminibus illustratam, quo praeclari- 
oribus in Rempublicam mentis auctam laetabundi conspicimus almam 
Academiam vestram, quam vel in nova hac terra Americana jam adornat 
tam plena auctoritatis, tam fecunda, tam veneranda antiquitas. 

Ouapropter, non per litteras tantum, sed praesentes etiam quantum id 
nobis licuit — Rectoris vicario, his potissimum diebus, ob Moderatorum 
conventum variis negotiis distento — ex animo vobis felicissimam tanto- 
rum laborum ac meritorum recordationem gratulaturi, convocato Senatu 
academico nostro, Reverendum admodum Dominum Henricum Hyvernat, 
Theologiae Doctorem ac linguarum et antiquitatum orientalium Profes- 
sorem, virum omnibus nominibus praestantissimum selegimus, ut votorum 
nostrorum apud vos omnes testis existeret atque interpres. 

Interim Largitorem omnium bonorum Deum O. M., a quo omne 
datum bonum et omne donum perfectum, enixe rogamus ut vos omnes 
diu sospitet et almam vestram Universitatem caelestibus benedictionibus 
repleat plurimos in annos. 

Datum Washingtonii, in aula McMahonia, pridie idus Octobris, a. d., 

MDCCCXCVI. 

PHILIPPUS J. GARRIGAN. 



r 



p 

■ PRINC 

M NOBIS 



[university of CHICAGO] 



RAESES CVRATORES PROFESSORES VNIVERSITATIS 
CHICAGINIENSIS VIRIS ILLVSTRISSIMIS DOCTISSIMis 
PRAESIDI CVRATORIB- PROFESSORIB- VNIVERSITATIS 
PRINCETONIENSIS SALVTEM IN DOMINO PERGRATVM EST 
NOBIS VIRI ILLVSTRISSIMI ET DOCTISSIMI VOBISCVM 
LAETARI ANNVM CENTESIMVM QVINQVAGESIMVM ESSE 
EXACTVM EX QVO PATRES NE DISCIPLINA ARTIBVSQ- OPTIMis 
INDOCTOS RELINQVERENT POSTEROS SEMINARIVM DOCTRInae 
PIECONDIDERVNT QVOD PER TOTANNOS PRAETERITOS PIETATe 
MAIORVM BENEFICIISQ- FIRMATVM A DEO CVLTVM A VOBIS AD 
AMPLISSIMVM HONOREM PERDVCTVM lAM INAVGVRABITVR 
VNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS NOS IGITVR PRAESES 
CVRATORES PROFESSORES VNIVERSITATIS CHICAGINIENSIS 
HOC VELIMVS VOBIS PERSVADEATIS NOS PRO MAXIMO 
HONORE DVCTVROS VNVM ALIQVEM EX ACADEMICO ORDINE 
NOSTRO AD VOS MITTERE QVI EO TEMPORE BEATO VOBIS 
OMNIA BONA PRECETVR VTINAM MODO ADIPISCATVR 
NOSTRA TAM NVPER CONDITA VNIVERSITAS ANNVM 
CENTESIMVM QVINQVAGESIMVM DIGNITATIS TAM PLENA 
QVAM VESTRA ATQVE A DEO PETIMVS VT RES A PATRIB • 
VOBISQ- GESTAE MAGNVM PIGNVS CVM NOBIS TVM VOBIS 
IN RELIQVVM TEMPVS SINT DATVM IN ACADEMICO CONCILio 
NOSTRO A- D- VII' ID- MAI- ANNO SALVTIS HVMANAE MDCCCXCvi 



quit 



cfiain<iiu^ eKa 



PRAESES 



197 



[university of CHICAGO] 



mnitier0itatis C|)icagmien0is 

^alutem in Bomino 

vvo:^!;!:-© a-w^a^i -uicariur'H et aza^u^iationi^y ^^o^t1^ae ^v^^v\X'vu^^v ah :>attcta 
ve^t^a ooCCcvM^VH-a ^H^Utavt-t-u^^ c|^uii> tail o^icio :>ati^ hlawu^o zc^pcziatwz. 
wiyi iii<i <xu<i\vx i-tt^pct vnx^iti riomimo c-t cot^vCeaae et eccl^er^M^i p^opte-r 
^i^ttiCta elu<i ei^aa 'HOiv fce-He&cta iaub^civczui'tt zcctoz n<yyt<iz et p^aec>e3. 
DCio 5ci4tpet^ in^a^lnetit- pet^^ectac et cju^a^i coele:>tliy <9lcabevvtiae in 
ai4ivHO intxKivv^ ea plel'ate i>aple44'tta p^l'c^^v^'ca^'v\:ia ^e oatcnhil: i.it ^ic 
ai^i-M^aue <xwyv\^ iam muU<x c|4^ae 14'ventlA ocu^^l^ p^zce-pezit caaaw in 
-faplbltu-^ ct aeblEiclt:> tu-vn ii-i- opc/t-luw^ hu^vnawo ae-H-C'&i i^tilk>5Ut4tliv 
iiwocuzxK fo^vnaue^itat^e. g}Cu44-o Ici^Ia^iz. tavn -kodi aztix^v^-U' bovM-iciCii uo^^a 
-Ca-uibe^ <^zatiaA ^c^en-tew^ ab ^zi^cxAvn -ui2/tn.6-l:-u-M4.c|/ue i-flw.b 'U<i^tz'uvn cj-i^ob 
an tea (Eonfeaitv^n SXeocaec^a'&iettcje -to-t boc-tt^in-ae i>tubio^t>5 Cncem- ipzae^uit 
et nion:: 'H-cvoii) xf'vzi^'UA -no-ua ^p^ iyiaxAau-zux^iUA/z 

®nibersttas 3^rittcetonien0t0 

no^ rite piecjue n^tittiniii:> pr^ae:)Cntantno. 

'J'atn-vvv i»v dcabe^nlco (Eo^vcllio ito^tro tlnno Saftitt^ 
MDCCCLXXXXVI a. b. XIV 3iaf. DnC 

(2eot:Qin:> Stepl'vann^ Soob^pt 



ooQ:!>pceo, 

aC> dcti^ 



198 



[university of CINCINNATI] 

VIRIS ILLUSTRISSIMIS AC DOCTISSIMIS 
PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS 

S. p. D. 

UNIVERSITAS CINCINNATIENSIS 



Ouoniam Uteris perhumaniter ad universitatem nostram datis gratum vobis fore 
significavistis si collegii neocaesariensis iamiam hunc centesimum et quinquage- 
simum annum conditi iam novis auspiciis in universitatis princetoniensis formam et 
dignitatem amplificandi sollemnitati unum ex nobis qui nostro nomine adfuerit 
deligerimus misimus collegam nostrum 

THOMAM HERBERTUM NORTON 

artium liberalium magistrum philosophiae doctorem scientiae et artium liberalium doctorem 
chemiae professorem 

eumque iussimus votorum nostrorum pientissimorum existere interpretem cum 
intersit magnopere hominum omnium ut scientiae literarumque studia per orbem 
terrarum quam maxime floreant atque vigeant. 

In cuius rei testimonium sigillum huius universitatis praesentibus 
literis apponi fecimus. 



( SEAL ] 



Philippus Van Ness Myers, 

Prseses Facultatis p. t. 

Carolus Lincoln Edwards, 

Secretarius. 



Datum ex aedibus academicis Cincinnatis 
die i mensis Octobris anno mdccclxxxxvi. 



[ COLUMBIA. UNIVERSITY ] 

PRAESES • CVRATORES • PROFESSORES 

• VNIVERSITATIS • COLVMBIAE • 

• IN • 

VRBE • NOVO • EBORACO 

VIRIS • ILLVSTRISSIMIS • DOCTISSIMIS 

PRAESIDI • CVRATORIBVS • PROFESSORIBVS 

VNIVERSITATIS • PRINCETONIENSIS 

s. 

SVMMA • CVM • DELECTATIONE • VIRI ■ CLARISSIMI • VESTRAS • LITTERAS • ORNATAS ■ 
ACCEPIMVS -QVIBVS -AD • SOLLEMNIA • APPROPINQVANTIA- NOS ■ TAM • BENIGNE -VOCA- 
VISTIS • QVOD ■ ACADEMIA • NVPER • COLLEGIVM ■ SED ■ NVNC ■ DEMVM ■ OPTIMO • IVRE • 
VNIVERSITAS • APPELLATA • OMINIBVS • SECVNDIS • AD • DIES • FERIARUM ■ RITE ■ CELE- 
BRANDOS • MAGNO ■ CVM • GAVDIO • NVNC • ANIMVM • INTENDIT ■ LIBENTER • VOBIS • 
GRATVLAMVR • ILLIS • DIEBVS • LAETABILIBVS • ANNALIVM • PRINCETONIENSIVM • 
ANIMO ■ RECORDANTES • NON • SINE • CAVSA ■ GAVDEBITIS • QVIS • ENIM • LOCVS • EST- 
TAM ■ BARBARVS • TAM • A • CONSORTIO • HOMINVM • ARTIBVS • INSTRVCTORVM • REMO- 
TVS • QVO ■ FAMA • HVIVS • VNIVERSITATIS • PRAESTANTISSIMAE ■ NONDVM • PERVA- 
SERIT ■ QVIA • NOS • COMITER • ROGATIS • VT • QVOSDAM • AD • VOS ■ MITTAMVS • QVI • 
HVIVS • FELICISSIMI ■ EVENTVS • MEMORIAM ■ IN -AVLA- ACADEMICA • PRINCETONIENSI • 
HOC • TEMPORE • CELEBRENT • NOS • SANE • VOBISCVM • LAETITIAM • HAVD • MEDIOCRI- 
TER • PERCIPIENTES • VOBISCVM • ETIAM ■ AMORE • LITTERARVM • SCIENTIARVMQVE • 
QVASI • VINCVLO • COMMVNI ■ INTIME • CONIVNCTI • DE ■ ISTA • BENIGNITATE • GRATIAS ■ 
NVNC • AGIMVS • AMPLISSIMAS • E • COETV ■ NOSTRO • PRAETEREA • AD ■ VOS • LEGATVM- 
lAM ■ ELEGIMVS • VIRVM • IDONEVM • QVI • NOSTRAM ■ ERGA ■ VOS • BENEVOLENTIAM • 
PRAESENS ■ TESTIFICETVR • PRECAMVR • INSVPER ■ VIRI • DOCTISSIMI • VT • VNIVERSI- 
TAS • PRINCETONIENSIS ■ ADHVC ■ AD • IVVENES • VIROSQVE • FRVCTIBVS • DOCTRINAE • 
EXORNANDOS • TAM • ILLVSTRIS ■ POSTHAC • EODEM • MODO • AD • SAPIENTIAM • EX- 
PONENDAM • AD ■ VIRTVTEM • EXCOLENDAM • AD • FIDEM ■ CHRISTIANAM • DENIQVE • 
DEFENDENDAM • VIGEAT • FLOREATQVE • IN • AETERNVM • 

DATVM NOVI • EBORACI • ID • OCT • ANNO • D • N • MDCCCXCVI • 



200 



[CORNELL university] 

Co t|)e pre2iitrent> Crtistees, antr jfacuUp 

of 

Wc, tf^c facultp of Contril dniljcr^itiJ, puiitg ap^ointcJ) our pvc^^ 
ibcnt to act a^ our Ddcgatc at tl}c ^ciGfquicnitmnial Crietiration of ttjc 
jfounDing of tfjc Coilcsc of |Jclt) ^cr-jcp anb tfjc (UnrcnioniCi^ inaugii:; 
rating ^Princeton <Ilni\jcr^itp, heme to conbqi to poii our Ijcarty congra;; 
tulation.^ upon ^uclj an ausfpiciou^ cbcnt. 

mc congratuiatc pou upon pour iiiustriou^ jja^sft, upon tljc long line 
of ^c^olar^ tutjo ^atic niabc ttjc name of Princeton rcnotoncb in Cljurclj 
anb ^tatc, in 5tcttcr^ anb in Science. IBc arc c^pccialip niinbful of 
tl)c profounb inHucncc txtttcti bp t^t ^tlumni of Princeton in ^Ijaping 
t|)c bc^tiuic^ of tf)c Colonic^ anb of tijc Clnitcb ^tatc^ in t^c critical 
pcriob of t^cir formation anb carip grotDtij. Wc congratulate tljc 
Princeton of to^bap upon tlji^ noble nif)eritance, t||e trabitionarp art of 
combining ^c||o!ar^||ip tDitlj patriotic beVsotion to affair^ of isftate. 

ItDc congratulate pou furt|)er upon pour remarlftabJc increa.^efe in 
number^ anb lDeaItl[) of enbotomcnt, anb upon t|5c great impenbing 
change tuijici) tljisf pro.speritp Ija.^ notu renbereb po^^itile. Clje College 
of l^eti) '3 cc^cp i.^ to &f transformeb nito ^Princeton dniberi^itp. gour 
^tubie.^ are to he broabeneb anb beepeneb in accorbance iDitlj tlje spirit 
of tlie nelu age. We confibentlp evpect tljat tlje career of bi^tinguis^eb 
cx'cellence upon tufiiclj pou are about to enter tuill mahe tlje name of 
Princeton dnitier.aitp etien more famous tljan ttiat of tl|e ^tollege of 
l^etu SiCt^^ep. 



( SEAL j 


31. (B. ^cljurntan, 

PrwiDfut, 
<%>tcxcmt^ of tl)c mnmmtv f acultp. 


SItljaca, i^cltj iorh, 
€>ctober I6, 1896. 







201 



[ CORNELL UNIVERSITY ] 

Collegi iaobo=Caesariett0ts 

^alutem ^lurimani l^mnt 
Boctores ©nitoersttatts Cornellianae 



Hu^tra tct ticccm a jirriiiiorbii^ ^rljolac prcciarac 5drincctonicn?i^ pcc:; 
acta cricbrantibuisf, trocto prac^ibi, ^apicnti^^imij^ curatoriliujef, auc^ 
toribii.!^ cctrum fiorcntiuni, alumni^ omni bottrinac pcac^^tantia bitacquc 
cicgantiisf ocnati^, bigni^ bonaruni artiiim boctoribus?, nccnon caninbcm 
ct fionac famac coiicgi ^tubioi^i^^imi^ abiUc^fcntifiit^ nostra ip^onim 
nomine onmiumquc quitmi^ ^cijola S(tt)^ff»^i^ ^CQWC rorbi c^t, gratula^ 
nnir boctore^ ilnitcr^itati^ Corncnianac. 

<©aubcnni^ concgiuni tcstnnn pet tot anno^ practcrito^ iittcra^ 
Ijumantorc^ \jccamquc boctcinani tarn biligcntcr, tarn fortitcr, tam k\i^ 
citcc bcfcnbi^^c, atqiic ibco niagi^ oj>tanui.i^ tt auguramut fore lit 
^niiJctjSfita^ ^^cincetonien^i.s^ pa ^aeciUa Vtenientia ctreseat et floreat. 

Slacobum ©outD 'S)cl)urmanum pramflem nostrum Dflfgimu«( 
qui f pulijS jSoKcmnibu^ lactabiinnu^ accuml3^;«t, 

SDabanni^i^ Sfttjacae, 
3I1, r. ^, mbfccircbi. 



[DARTMOUTH COLLEGE] 

Praeses (^uratores Professores 

Collegii P)^^tmuthensis 

Viris (^larlssimis Eruditissimis 

Praesidi (^uratoribus Professoribus 

(^oUegii N^ocaesariensis 

SDP 



Gratias agimus quam plurimas, Viri Doctissimi, quod inter tot universi- 
tates sive collegia, cum domi turn peregre, nos quoque Dartmuthenses, 
vobis pluribus retinaculis coniunctos, et amicissimo animo salvere iussis- 
tis, et unum e nobis ad hoc delectum mittere, quern mense Octobri huiusce 
anni per festos dies anniversarios hospitio benignissimo acciperetis. 
Quo tempore ipsum scitote Praesidem nostrum adesse animo intendere, 
qui tam vobis ista agentibus saecularia verbis nostris gratuletur, quam 
omnibus, qui tunc temporis ad vos convenerint, id multo uberiore oratione 
explicatiusque, quam per litteras fieri potest, praesens praesentibus con- 
firmet quod de Collegio Neocaesariensi in Vniversitatem Princetonien- 
sem tunc rite auguratoque evecto speramus ; scilicet fore ut illas vitae 
humanioris lampadas (sit venia verbis tritissimis) abhinc annos centum 
et quinquaginta accensas, atque inter praeceptores vestros alteri ab altero, 
spatio aetatis decurso, toties in manus datas, nunc, flammis denuo excitatis 
ardentes, longius iam latiusque relucentes, vos, pariter strenui cursores ac 
torosi illi adulescentes, quos modo Olympiorum victoriam consequi vidi- 
mus, quam longissime perferatis ; cumque immane quantum cursum per- 
egeritis, calcem denique conspicati, ferendas deinceps pieque fovendas iu- 
ventuti robustissimae tradatis. Valete. 

Dabamus Hanoverae 

a. d. xvii Kal. Mai. 

anno MDCCCXCVI ° 

GUILIELMUS J. TUCKER, 

Praeses. 
FRANCISCUS G. MOORE, 

pro Praeceptoribus. 



[university of DENVER] 

University of Denver, 

University Park, Colo., Oct. 19, 1896. 



To THE Secretary of the Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration : 

I had hoped until a few days ago that I might be able to repre- 
sent the University of Denver this week in Princeton. But the immense 
distance and imperative duties combine to prevent my coming in person. 
We send our regrets and salutations. We, beginning life, salute you, 
having nobly lived for years. Princeton's influence is very great even 
here in the distant West. We are held to better educational ideals by 
your steadfast example. Historic methods and principles are more easily 
maintained in an experimenting age, by reason of Princeton's holding 
fast to the things already proved. But progress is also made easier for 
us by your ready acceptance of what is new and true. We find it easier 
to uphold the Christian philosophy of education because of your abiding 
devotion to Christ as the centre of highest culture. In these and in 
many other ways we are your debtors. May all richest blessings rest 
upon the new University for untold ages. 

The trustees, faculty and students of the University of Denver send 
greetings. 

Yours sincerely, 

WILLIAM F. McDowell, 

Chancellor. 



204 



[GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.] 

^^*' % 

^ Collegti iSeocaesactengis <^ 

®mber0itas (^eorsiopolttana 
g^alutem 

Jjittezad oznatlddlmad in qulbud de die anniverdatio (Sollegii vedtti centesimo quin- 
quageditno rite agendo ceztiozed facti dumud UbentidMrne accepimua et maxiinad vobid 
agimud gzatiad quod nod vedtzi in fezitJ daecidazibud celebzandid gaudii pazticiped eddc 
voluidtid, 

0mneA quidem S^mezicanod gaudeze opoztet zecozdanted atque ipdid oculid ceznented 
quanto axdoze in ommbud nodtzae zegwnid paztibud optimazum aztium dtudia et diAci- 
plinae libezaled excolantuz, zhatzed enim et conditozed ampliddimae kujud zei publicae 
nihil antiquiud kabuezunt quam ut adoledcented nodtzi ad omnetn kumanitateni infoz- 
mazentuz quo meliozed evadezent cived ac dibi et zei publicae konozi et emolumento edde 
poddent, ^aptoptet civttatid funaamentid vixjactid illad dcientiazum deded condtitue- 
zunt quae kodie omnium, laudibud effezuntuz, Sntez quad nemini dubium edde potedt 
quin pzaecipuum tenuezit ac teneat locum (collegium iBeocaedaziende, 

'Vobid igituz feziad daeculazed dolemnitez agenttbud ex animo gzatulamuz hujudque 
gzatulationid tedtem dedignamud cPiDevezendum pattern ^odepkum d€avend S^ichazdd, 
e docietate ^edu, kuJud H^hnivezditatid cRjectozem, qui fedtivitatibud vedtzid intezdit vobidque 
dignificet quam. vekementez exoptemud ut bcneficiid quae pez centum quinquaginta 
annod (oollegium iBeocaedaziende patriae nodtzae contulezit, novid nunc aucta vizibud 
novaque nomine indignita '^nivezditad ^ztncetontendid majota in died mezita adjiciat. 
Datae X Kal. Septembrcs, Anno Domini MDCCCXCl^I- Georgiopoli. 

^odepkud &6avend cPiickazdd, S. ^., 

©Szaeded. 
^ulielmud ^, Snnid, S. ^,, 

'Vice-^xaeded, 
205 



[hampden-sidney college] 

Jc>taeded et J^zofeddozed aharripdendldrieiended 

yJ( GL Jotaedldi Guzatozibud ^zofeddozihud 

G^cademiae I (oeo-ioaedazlendid 

of. 2). ^. 

ox kiimaniddimtd iucundlddlmldque Uttetid vedtiidf 
vltt clwctddltnt et etudtttddwilf ilium diem apptopinqiiate 
laeti accepim^ud quo die tanto tam laudabili cutdu iam 
emetido ptaeclata academia vedHa exdtitwca e^t Ibnivet- 
ditad, foeque enim. potedt in hoc pulcfita docietate nodtx,a 
unad dociud ad dum.m.um. gtadum konotid petvenite ut 
not! omtied communi g audio afficiantwc, Ibod ex,go dum 
locid obdcuziotibud amotem hoiiatum allium fovete et 
ptopa^ate dtudemud non poddumud quin dumm,ad atced 
littetatum emuniti et condtabiliti gaudeamad. 

^lod ut ptaedented ptaedetitibud wbid odtetidamud 
auctam^que dignitatem vedttam una cum cetetid pto 
vedtta utbanitate invitatid ^tato ote laudemud ad d, 
ptaefinitam pet le^atum ptofeddotem yualtetum cJSlai 
nidi quid accidetit adetii 

£D. a. d. VI SGal. S^pz. 

^.3). CIDIDCCCLXXXXVI 

Sx S^cademia &6ampden6ldneicn6i. 

I SEAL J 



tern 
ait 
ettmud, 



[ HARVARD UNIVERSITY ] 



PRAESES- SOCIl- INSPECTORES- PROFESSORES- IN- VNI- 
VERSITATE • HARVARDIANA ■ COMMORANTES ■ PRAESIDI 
CVRATORIBVS-PROFESSORIBVS- COLLEGIE NEOCAESARIEN- 
SIS • VIRIS • ILLVSTRISSIMIS • DOCTISSIMIS ■ S 

I ITTERAS • VESTRAS • VIRI • ILLVSTRISSIMI ■ ET- DOCTISSIMI 

I ACCEPIMVS- EXQVIBUS- INTELLEXIMVS- SVMMQ- CVM 

GAVDIO- VOS- MOX- CELEBRATVROS • SIMVL- ET- DIEM- AN- 
NIVERSARIVM - COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS • ET- NATALEM 

VNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS 

IVVABIT- NOS-CVM- DIES- FESTI - ADERVNT- VNVM - ALIQVEM 
ID QVOD- BENIGNE PETITIS- E- NVMERQ- NOSTRO- LEGARE 
QVI- FERIIS- SOLLEMNIBVS INTERSIT- IDEMQVE- BEATISSIMI 
VT- SPERAMVS- SAECVLI - INITIO- NASCENTI - VNIVERSITATI 
EA- QVA- PAR- EST- BENEVOLENTIA - NOSTRO- NOMINE 
GRATVLETVR 

Gazoliid yuilSUot 

PRAESES 
DAT • ID • APR 

A • CIO 10 CCC LXXXX VI 

CANTABRIGIA 



I SEAL ] 



207 



[harvard university] 

^ar\3arlr ®nt\)ersiitj> to ^^rmceton ®nt\3ersttp 

a^n tl)t auspicious occasion of ttjc one IjunDrcD anD fiftictt) 
^nnibfrsar^ of tljc founUing of |Brinccton tBlnitirrsit^, 

^he Mtedident and cFellowd of cTKoatva^d (Sotieae 
dedite to dead to 

'^he atiidteed and cfacultij of tke Golle^e of mew ofetdei/ 
keaxtij gteetln^df congtatuiationd on tke acktevenientd of tke 
GoiLege of Ibew cJezdeif in tke padt, and good wuked fot ltd 
continued ptodpeiiti/ and udefiilnedd, 

dkey kave tketefote appointed ad delegated to tkid (^edcjai- 
centennial Gelebration tkeit ttudtij and well-beloved officetd 

Skatled 'William Sliot, JS£, 2),, 

yeotge Joincoln yoodale, aVo, Jj,, Jo Jo, Jj,, 

SfiAet ^tofc66ot of%atutal dSi^tozy, 

William Jamed, 3W, 3),, Sk, 2)., JSitt, 2)., 

Srofe..ozof^.rjchology, 

and kave ckatged tkeni to conveij to tke Otudteed and cfacultij 
ike felicitationd of tke Jotedident and cJellowd, and to exptedd 
tke confident kope and expectation tkat tke beneficent influence 
of Princeton Ihnivetditij will gww evet widet ad tke centutied 
padd, and itd dezviced to dcience^ lettetd, and pkilodopki/ evet mote 
eminent, 

cJ ke Jotedident and uellowd 

of ahatvatd Gollege bi/ 

Sdwazd \V, S^OOpeZ, Ofcctetazy, 
&ambxidge, SVDa.i6achu6cUa, 

"oAc l5lh ofdctobet, iSp6. 



[haverford college] 






^o^LuJCe^nv c-5<^ lUo-vyL-u: 



o-'nwvs^o-'. 



t-jt^i^t-e^Jt-ti--, a-^t^i^o^i, <::^s^ii^'CuyfK^ t^yUyUK^Cj^v^a^tz,i.^nJCaj Cs^ti^c^L-'t^V s^^c^o-^c^i-o-ii, c-e-te-o-^o^Le^ 
c^o^i^G^u^ e-t p^Q^t'Ct-O^Q^'H^'t'S^V Ls^q^CL.'Cu^/yi^ G^Cuc^u^'^^nt' yyi^f^'t'^'nvu^^ j Oy-u^t^ f-o^d-t^i^ it--e'- 

Jc£,j/^^ <^^tJ^. ^. £). MDCCCXCVI. 



[hobart college] 
PRAESES PROFESSORESQUE 

Collegti Holbattiant 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS 

Collegit jBteticaesartensts 

SALUTEM PLURIMAM DICUNT 



Magna nos voluptate affecerunt literae quibus nos ad ferias vestras prox- 
imo Octobri celebrandas benigne et comiter vocatis. Recte arbitramini, 
Viri optimi et doctissimi, ferias illas quibus Universitatis vestrae vita 
prior quodammodo concluditur, nova ampliorque mutato, ut par est, 
nomine exoritur et nobis et iis omnibus qui bonis literis faveant omni 
observantia dignas visum iri. 

Pergrato igitur animo literis vestris acceptis ad istas ferias unum de 
nostris mittere in animo est, cui partes demus vobis nostris verbis gratu- 
landi. Huius nomen, necnon quo tempore expectandus sit alteris literis 
docebimus. Vobis interea gratulantes etiam atque etiam gratias pro 
humanitate vestra impensissimas agimus. Valete. Datum Genevae in 
Republica Neo-Eboracensi prid. Kal, Maias Anno Salutis Nostrae 
MDCCCXCVI? 

In superiorum literarum ampliorem fidem sigillum Collegii Hobartiani 
eis apponi jussimus nostrumque chirographum subscripsimus. 

E. N. POTTER, 

Praeses, 



210 



[JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY] 

J^taedldi magnificOf (Diitatotibud tlludtziddimtdf 
UDtofeddotlbiid doct'iddlmld 

Cooliegii /oeocaedazietidid 

^, S. 2), 

Lvawezdttad Jokixd cytDopkind c/Saltitnozendid 

cHDumanlddiniLZd iittetad a vohtd accepitnud; qu'ihiid podt 
centum et qiimqiiagmta annod In Iwetaliutn attiuin dtudlld 
colendld ptomovendldque fellclddirne exactodf novum daeculum 
In^teddwcl et novum nomen dumptuttf nod invitavldtld ut died 
XX, XXI, XXII mendld Uctobtid fedtod vobidcum conceiebta- 



temud , 



oJtaquef ut died tain faudtod, eo cjuo pax. edt konotef pzo- 
dequamut, ex nodtto otdine a^cademico Joxaedidem ^anieiem 
(ooit yiimanf vitum iUudttiddimutn, educatotem honotatiddi- 
mum, atbittum ad tetminod condtituendod feiiciddimum, dele- 
gimudf qui ptaedend vobid gtatulandi munud ohviet et vobidcum 
Pota pro incoiumitate ptodpetitate diututnitateque 

Uoawezditatld JotincetoaieadU 

nuncupatet, 

6. cJjoozton (^tewazt, 

3)abartiud cBalttmozae ^_^ zo cr:> 

,. ^^ , . ^ .. / \ (outatozum J^iaeded. 

die zLzimo mendtd ^utiii ( g^.^^ ) 

SS,, S, MDCCCXCyi ^^— -y 

211 



[KNOX college] 

J:Dtae6e6 et J:DZofeddozed 

(ooiUcili abnoxendid 

Ytzld Qjiiadtzlddlmld JjoctiAAunld 

J^zaedidi (ouzatozibud J^zofeddozibud 

QJti (ooUeciio IveocaedaziendL (ooinmozantlbud 

Salute ni in domino. 



y^^-Ynuttatt comttet a uobld, utti illudtuddimt et doctU- 
i ditiii, ad ftuenduni otditild noblltd uedtti hodpittunif 
(of ^^^ anntiie'Cdaui centedttno quincjuag edtmo (Dollegli 
— lueocaed attend id conditlf otainud ut ^tato animo uohid 
gzatlad ob fionotern tnultatlonld agimud et tedpondendo affirme- 
mud ma^nae laetttlae nobid unum ex otdine nodtzo ut uobld 
c/tatuletut et diet doiiemnid oblectatione patticepd dit, uicaziurn 
delegate, 



2)atuni ^alc^butgiae 

in G^ula (ooUe^it 

Si^noxendid, 

Sdibud Sept, 

Sg.2). MDCCCXCyi. 



Jjokanned ah, cflnieif, 

^zaeded, 

olio mad cJiD. vviiiazd, 







212 



[LAFAYETTE COLLEGE] 



J^zaedldi Guzatozibud atque J^zofeddozibud 



SALUTEM 

ytatiad pzoptet numanttatem uedttam tefetentedf atque 
de illudHl GoUe^tl /Oeocaedatiendld ampliftcatione 
tiobidcum iaetaiitedf ^tatulatloned dtnce'cidjimad tioUd 
dianificamudf atque dpetamud foze ut centum et quln- 
quaglnta annld diem m,agnam tmponatu, 

^foobld piacuit Jotaedldem nodtzum Stkelbeztum. 
<=//. Watfield ulcatium dellgeze; qui hodpitio uedtto 
utatwCf atque uobidcum, eo tempore laetetwc, ^eud uod 
am-et. 

Stlielhezttu 2). "WatfieU, 

Jjzaeded, 



[lake forest university] 

J^taeded Gutato'ced J^tofeddoted Ibnivezditatid Joactdllvanae 

Jotaedld'i (s>mato'Ctl)Lid Jzjtofeddotlbud 

c) iiudtudditnid JJocttddttnid 

(DoLieglt iBeocaedatleiidid 

(^aiuteni in JJoinlno, 



CtcLttdMmae, vizi claiiddttni, littezae vedtzae nobid fuetunt, cotnplezunt nod 
dummo gaudto. 2)eo omntpotenti vobtdctun gtatiad agimud, ^uod (Solleglo 
'^eocaedatiendi fundatozed magnanitni fuezunt et pez tot annod pzaedtded 
cuzatozed pzofeddozed doctidduni fioeltddimi alutnni libezaltddunt atque bene- 
ficenttdditnt amtci dunt fuezunt, 

^uod Collegium iBeocaedaziende dctentiain liumanitatem et oinned atted 
quae ad ead peztinent coluit atque dlddeminavit, quibud patzia et eccL 
fuezunt dunt ezunt beatae, pzaedeztim cum nodtza '^nivezdttad JhacidiUi 
e numezo eiud aUunnozum duo pzaedtded vlzod honozatiddiniod, nunnuUod 
cuzatozed munificentiddimod, ezudiddimod pzofeddozed cooptavezit. 2)eud 
dempez Sdem concedat, ut ihnivezditad ^zincetoniendtd quae iam (oollegio 
^eocaedaziendi duccedet aucta poddeddionibud occadionibud maiud etiam et 
meliud opud pzo bono publico ad maiozem 2)et gtoziam efficiat, pluzimura 
valeat, in daeculo daeculozum flozeat, 

Salve H^bnivezditad ^tincetoniendld, 

(oyzuni &Sall c)llDc(oozmick, 2)avtda cBenton oJoiied e cuzatoztbud nodtzid 
vicazwd delegitnud qui, 2)eo volente, ipdt ptaedented nodtzad gzatulatwned 
fezant, 

ofo/in ^, ahaideiif 
Saturn £aciddvae Slltnendid ^zaeded, 

die vicedimo Septembzid 

(S§. S, M. D. CCC. XC. VI. 

I SEAL I 

214 



edia 
'ana 



[ LICK OBSERVATORY ] 

University of California, 

Mount Hamilton, October 20, 1896. 

1746- 1896. 

The Astronomers of The Lick Observatory of The 
University of California offer their congratulations upon 
the completion of the one hundred and fiftieth year of the 
College of New Jersey ; and express their warmest hopes 
for Princeton University in the centuries to come. "The 
best of prophets of the Future is the Past." 

Edward S. Holden, 
j. m. scharberle, 
W. W. Campbell, 
R. H. Tucker, 
W. J. HUSSEY, 
A. L. COLTON, 

C. D. Perrine, 

R. G. AlTKEN. 



215 



[Mccormick theological seminary] 

Hcabemiae XTbeologicae flIbcCotmicensts 

C/4--asd€-a-^ '^ui-aZ-aH't^ud c/4€^/-ed-d-i?-^t^ud cy-UyUd€i-td<i'i^'m^d yy€^c/'t^dd€^^^'id 

Salutem in H)omtno. 




4M-'i€:^'t44m ■i^udl-^'-tdd€<i^n€^4-ud^^ €^ufn ^^ A-td-t-a-U-a -c^-l^^-^'. 



■t^d/i-i iu^m -t^n A^d^-a^-^-fi Atziid^e -n^dM-tZte- ^^^-^^^^-^Z ^^-^w 
'a-i'a€'f'i-^?4^u^^. (y^€C€^i^-n-(id^c€'fz/6d 'mu/^^'-iun^ ^nd/^lu/^^lu^m 
Ai^/^tzslei ^-ed-liu^-^ ■c-i^M^-^^Hi^n^ -liiwM c/^-^^^-^'Z-^^-^ d-M^-c^-^ddu-m 
/u^dd€ Aii^rUiS-i ^€^lU'7-ii /fi-u-^^ii^d^ A-tz^i-'tel 'Ut:i-uM€-u-fn ^^ AeU-^=^ 

'U€^-U'M- 4i-/u'H^/n€?-'^/i d.'tZ€u/e'?44- ^i^ce-n/sd ■{^i'd'mud U€ ^-t-^^-i^-^ 

IHnipcrsitatie princetoniettsis 

e-M^^m 'c/i^'tt^d -tzu-a--^-^ A^^n-t^ied '^-ti-t^e-^-^ C/f^€^iy€i€4-€?^i-i^'nd-id 



f-u^'O-^'a-^^'i -a-c 



Scriba. Praeses pro aimo Facultatis. 



[MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ] 

institute of Cecfjnologj) 

The Faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offer to the 

^rc^iticnt, €m.sftcc-^ and the ^rofc^^ors? of Princeton 9lni\jei:^itp their 

heartfelt congratulations at the establishment of the (LlltitJCt^itp upon 
the broad and firm foundation laid in the noble work done by the 
CoIiCffC of ll^CtU 5fcr,^cp during the past one hundred and fifty years in 
3lltt^, CljCOJogp and ^finiCC, and in much honorable and useful service 

to the i^cpublif. ^mtc and ^rojEfpmtp to ^nnccton* 



Francis A. Walker 
John D. Runkle 
Geo. a. Osborne 
Robert H. Richards 
F. W. Chandler 
Wm. T. Sedgwick 
E. B. Homer 
Wm. H. Lawrence 
Alphonse N.vanDaell 
Webster Wells 
Joseph J. Skinner 
Charles F. A. Currier 
Wm. H. Niles 
Henry P. Talbot 
Jerome Sondericker 
Thomas E. Pope 
H. O. Hofman 
George F. Swain 
Edw. F. Miller 



Dana P. Bartlett 
Allyne L. Merrill 
Fred A. Bardwell 
Arlo Bates 
Wm. L. Puffer 
Theodore Hough 
John Bigelow, Jr. 
Augustus H. Gill 
Frederick S. Woods 
Gaetano Lanza 
Chas. R. Cross 
Frank Vogel 
Robert P. Bigelow 
Richard W. Lodge 
Willis R. Whitney 
Frederick H. Bailey 
Charles L. Adams 
G. Russell Lincoln 
G. Theodore Dippold 



Leonard M. Passano 
William Z. Ripley 
Cecil H. Peabody 
Arthur A. Noyes 
N. Richard George 
Frank H. Thorp 
John W. Smith 
S. H. Woodbridge 
C. Frank Allen 
Alfred E. Burton 
Linus Faunce 
J. Blackstein 
William A. Johnston 
Charles E. Fuller 
George W. Hamblet 
George H. Barton 
Henry M. Goodwin 
Harry W. Tyler 
Henry K. Burrison 



217 



[MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY] 



MASSACHUSETTS 
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 



Boston, Q^ptil i^t ^^9^ 



oke Gotpotation and aaculti/ of the aTBaddacktidettd 
Sndtltute of Oecknolo^y con^'catulate the Gotpotation, the 
Joted'identf the ciacuitij and the (^tiidentd of the (jolle^e of 
ibew Metdey upon the approach of the one hundted and 
fiftieth annivetdatij of the college, and upon the wide decidion 
to recognize the ptopet condtituentd of a univetdity in itd pazioud 
depatttnentd and dchoold, dome of them long czowned with honot 
and condectated bg eminent detviced to (^tate and lOation and 
to the latgex. (Dommon\K>ealth of Joeatningf while the goungedt 
had yielded tich ftuit to dcience and the indudtual attd, g^ 
delegate ftom the Sndtitute of technology will attend the cele- 
bration of (jctobex, Q9,df and join in the congtatuLationd of 
the wotld of dcholazd upon the ude of Jjtinceton Ihnivetditg, 

CJzancid oS). vvalkez, 

Szedidetit. 

aSazzy W. Oyiez, 

Sectetazy, 



[ UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ] 



Mntbersttatis ^tssouriensis 

^laesilii Curatortbus ^rofessoribus Collegit 
JBteo-Caesareae 

^alutem* 

mw auoti re0 ati littera^ et uctentiatn jspectantejs tarn 
egregia0 ge^^i^ti^ gratulante^ gauDemujs I1O0 pro projsperitate 
per centum quinquagmta antto^ perducta Dtgmtatent ab ilia 
mot)e0ti00ima tarn noir contenienti Collegii at) tieram WiuU 
\)ersittatlS ^rmcetoniae appellationetn conterjsuro^, 
gtaque ut ip^z l^onoregi Dtcat et fe^to tempore collaetetur 
^raejstDem nostrum tiirum illujstri^^tmum 3R(carlium 
fletiricum f esse acgatimu^, 

€v aula acatiemica 
3lD» !9l9at» anno ^alutijs mucccjccbu 



219 



[university of NEBRASKA] 

GanceUazUid cJi>ectozed J^zofeddozed 

YiiLuezditatid /Oebzadbendid 

Vizid olUudtziddlmld cJjoctiddimid 

J^zaedldi et J^zofedAozibud 

Qjii (oolleglo lOeocaedaziendt (ooinmozantibuA 

(^aliitem in Jjomino. 

/ ^ancellauud cJljectoted J^tojeddoted Pfiiuetdltatid nSebtad- 
v_^ ketidid tnuitati a potedtatihud Golle^ii /ueocaedauetidid 
ut ex duo ozdltie academico alicjuem dell^ant uicauum ad 
celebtandum diem anniuetdatluni GoUe^ii /Oeocaedauendtd 
centendlmum qulnqua^endimum, etddem dince'Ce ^tatiad agant, 
(Dotle^tuni uetud honedtumcjue de tebud decundid ex animo 
gtatulatniit, menioted cum multouifn et etuditotuni uitouitn 
tei publicae o^meticanae datozurn turn acceddionid dctentiae in 
te^no littetatum , cJn dignum dtudii yeotgium (s>duiTium 
STBacJheaTi kuiud Pniuezditatid (d ancellatiuni Picauuni nod- 
ttum delec/imud in ceiebtanda dolemni inau^utatione Pniuez- 
ditatid UDzincetoniendid die uicendimo decundo tnendid (Jctobtid 
anno niillendimo octingentendinio nonagendimo dexto, 

J^. C^By. (^kezman, 

S)atutn £uicolnendt S)ecanud. 

tn Q/^ula 'Vniuetditatls /-" ^ 

die tttceuMtno Sunii ( seal j 

cg§, (§f. MDCCCXCVI. V y 




[college of the city of new YORK] 

J^zaeded et (^etiatud C^cademlcad 

GolUgil Vtbaai /oeoSbozaceadld 

yiztd oJlludtziddumLd Jjoctiddwmid 

Jc>zaedidi (oazatozlbud J^cofeddoiibad 

(ooUegli loe -ioaedaxiendld 

S. S. 2). 



aeculated fetiad the ceiebtantibud vobld tola nieiite 
gtatulamwc. Q^lmatii <yJbaHetn foeo-Gaeda'cieti- 
denif a doctlddiinid vltid indtitiitatn, dempe'C valtdid- 
dumld vlttbud atted libezaled coluidde nemitil edt 
tgnotum, J=>luzttni ex ue^tzid doctotibud clatiieuint fautoted 
mudatuirif dapienttae; dcientlatum, JJn taUd fadtod tedpict- 
ented lute laetamlnt ; tiize etlam ad ampUoted vocatl honored 
et dt^riitaterri, cetetod tebad acadeniictd ptaefectod , ut laetentwc 
vobidcum atcedditld. c^ae cum ita dint, lubentet ie^abimud 
qui illid faudtld fedtidque diebud vobid addit, et adfetat gta- 
t.ulationed , Paleatidj fioteatid . 

cS^iexandei @f.^\Ub, ££.3). 

2)atum l^eo-Shozacl Szaeded, 

in aula nodtza S^cademtca 

9^onid cJUoaiiA 
anno podt (ofittdtuni natum, 
mtUe.)umo octingentedumo nonagedumo dexto, 

( SEAL J 

221 



[new YORK university] 

Cancellarius Concilium Curatorum Professoresque Uni- 
versitatis Neo-Eboracensis viros illustrissimos et doctissimos 
Praesidem Curatores Professores Collegii Neocaesariensis in 
Deo salvere iubemus. 

Vos cum petieritis a nobis rem iucundam, nempe ut legemus 
aliquem virum ex numero nostrorum qui adsit in diebus festis 
quibus vos rite celebretis confectum lustrum trigesimum Collegii 
Neo-Caesariensiset intersit auspiciis Universitatis Princetoniensis 
a. d. XI Kal. Novembres huius anni, gratis animis accipimus 
munus quod vos nobis praebetis. Una vobiscum laetamur propter 
dies festos qui instant et legamus Cancellarium Henricum Mit- 
chell MacCracken qui nostro loco illis diebus vobis intersit. 

In Universitate Neo-Eboracensi 

Nonis luliis MDCCCLXXXXVI. 

CHARLES BUTLER, Praeses, 
ISRAEL C. PIERSON, Secretarius. 



[northwestern university] 



I SEAL j 



Zo the Ipresibent, ICtuetees, anb jfacult^ of the 
College of IRew JerseiP, 

GREETING: 

^ ^ ^ mhc B^cult? of I^ottbwesterit ttniveteit? 

have had the honor to zeceive the official communication inviting them to dend a dele- 
gate to zepzedent the Hhnivezdity at the Sedqaicentennial (oelebtation of the (oollege of 
iBew ^ezdey, 

^heg cozdiallij accept the invitation and tahe pleadute in presenting ad their dele- 
gate President BSenrg ^ade cfhogezd, accredited from thid H^bniverdity as the bearer 
of ltd respectful greetings and congratulations, 

^he Tbniversity is glad by its delegated presence to have a share in a festival cele- 
brating the completion of a hundred and fifty years of the life of a venerable institution 
of (Christian learning whose growth has been part of the progress of our land, and 
whose prosperity has borne fruit in the advancement of every noble cause, 

'^he cFaculty Join with their congratulations the fervent wish that the favor of 
&Seaven may continue to abide with the (oollege in the centuries to come, and that the 
new name, princetOU TUniverSit^, rivalling the honors of the old, may grow ever 
brighter in merited renown, 

mortbwestern Xllniversitig, (/eot^e (S^, &oe, 

iBvanston, UlUnoig, Secretary of the cfaculty, 

September 22, 1896. (oollege of £iberal <S^xts, 



[ UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ] 

lpraefectu0 Curatores professores 

XHniversitatis Ip^ennsiplvaniensis 

IDiris CIan00imi6 2)octi60imi0 
lprae0ibi Curatoribus profeseoribus 

CoUeoii Beocaesarieneis 

Salutem 

(Siuo& per litteras nuper receptas certiores facti sumus viri 
clarissimi boctissimi vos in mente babere mense ©ctobri projlmo 
feriis saecularlbus per tri^uum babenbis tunt>ationem Collegti IReo* 
caesariensis celebrare metnoriam virorum iUustrissimorum qui &e 
CoUegio vcstvo Deque universa patria nostra partim &onis &an&is 
partim scientia promoven&a juventuteque Hmericana in boctrinam 
virtutem religionem instruen&a bene meriti sint piissime renovare 
eobem autem tempore institutionem IHniversitatis princetoniensis 
e fun^amentis Collegii IReocaesariensis tot tantisque laboribus 
firmatis tunc tanquam novi pboenicis e patris cineribus nascen&ae 
rite tacere ii> nos sumnio gaut>io afficit permovetque ut laetitiam 
quani sentimus masimani vobis sigiiificenius Deque tactis praeteritis 
splenDiDis gratulationes pro tuturis ut et splen&iDiora (iant vota 
taciamus. 

Ibis &e causis bas litteras scriben&as curavimus et virum insignem 
praefectum nostrum Carolum Custis fbarrison legatum constituimus 
qui vobis ^ratulationes nostras votaque perterat. 

Ifn cujus rei testimonium siQillum XHniversitatis curatores ejusDem 
apponi jusserunt. 

I SEAL ] 



[PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE] 

Pennsylvania College, 
Gettysburg, Penna., March 29, 1896. 

The President, Trustees and Faculty of Pennsylvania College 
beg to gratefully acknowledge the honor of an invitation to par- 
ticipate in the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anni- 
versary of the founding of Princeton University, and to extend 
their Christian greetings and hearty congratulations to the Presi- 
dent, Trustees and Faculty of the University. They recognize in 
Princeton, not only one of the oldest, but also one of the foremost 
and best of American Universities, whose progress, conjoined with 
a wise conservatism, has cordially recognized what is good in the 
old and carried it on into the new, in curricula and methods meet- 
ing modern demands without sacrificing the best results of past 
educational experience, and whose influence upon the Christian 
higher education of this country has been most wide-reaching, 
inspiring and helpful. 

With earnest wishes for the success of the Anniversary occa- 
sion and for the future of Princeton, 

Very truly yours, 

H. W. McKnight, Prest. 



[ PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ] 

%t<y^<i^^otQyy Scfiol'ac ^fieal'oaiae tB-ti-vtcetoM-ienci-iii 

£itt«--&ac 'Oe^l^'Z^ae, 'ui-r-i^ ci<x'c\A<yi\^\'i l-tat'teom^e helectie>i>i-t4i-i, M^-kH'^Ho 

*3)ic-^i-H^oi4', §Su-^•'^^, fBevK-^c-t-to-w, ^ier-^so-H-, iunhatot-^:^ vocavit ebuca- 
w-tc|-t^e ; Qui ii4- cnyUu'VH' c^ul-M.ci-'Uaaiy^ta a^-n-k*, atiic^ abiiet^i^ aCi ic> 
lauc-M-tiStH-iy pe-r. -CaSote^ -n4aai6t'to^'U--H4- liheli^^'kH- atau-ii hoctoxA^^n^ boc- 
tiiioin^ozuwi- -vi^cAxoyv ip<iz- hon-a ■pai'conozu^'m ■vnu.wiiiciytu.vvv^ ei -ui/tecv 

-vica^ be|en-ben^i> Scclcivia-Hv (S-^t^ioti avnavi^ e-t £)e^-uatv5 bon-U'-n^' 444-aa- 
'H-tH-ii'V cvtau-ii vyi'wahiiii. a ^co ab ^onxiyi<i^^ <xc v-^x-o e;>t, -viouA^^ ^it ; 

cj^w-a^i bot:ei4i. a -pa^xii avnanX^^ ei ai^cl^a^ po53eoi>toricA occa^iotte^cj^u^e 
et -no-ua ju/j^a -pt^aeSet eu^-vn- i-vo- ^i-He-t44- -ut ©ccCcM-a et !Eal:zia emo pet 
uiao'&ei4-v ■viac-cin-t. 

Sic itdx.AA.MA' 1-144 pCetu'kH- ei^t il^w-b '^ovniwi XKiz^u-'m 'n\a.^^<l^^/^ iyi 
a<i\<i'Z-vvi\.m : &u>'nt<io i^avU ei |le&ai4^i 'i44ittenie^ e>evHii4^a ivua. "^cni- 
e-H-ie^ ai^tiei4^v aje-M'ie44t owm ecci>i^iaiio-H^e poriaM^iei) i44anipn-^oi> i>i4.o3. 
^tao ■vo^i^ouvn ^eH444' -Cai^bai^i.-u^. ^t^ao btoi-vi^i-u^ : 

^E-tae^ibe444 iacu^tiati^ (^u^iictn^u^m ^o-n^icu^m (St^een 'uicaxiu^yn 
n^o^z-i^An- be'feaa'H4.u<>, cj-ui, '3)eo uofettie, -vtocytt^aiv atai-utaiio-ne^ inxai. 

*2)aiiM4t' ^iiicetowiae 
i44 O-taiotlo Scln^o-Eae '^^eoCoaiae Q,uiiQ,i^^^^ui> ^<i\vxlcU't> St^e-kv, 
ble 'H.OM^ 9Haii <£t. S. M DCCC XC VI !E^ac5eA eFaci^Ciaii^. 

S-ec-tPva-rbvi^ "^ocv, <StC> epi:>tolid. 

226 



[RUTGERS college] 

PRAESES CURATORES PROFESSORES 

COLLEGII RUTGERSENSIS 

IN NOVA CAESAREA 

Magistris Universitatis Princetoniensis Doctissimis lustaque 
Ex Causa lUustrissimis 

S. D. 

QUAM PRIMUM post festiim Academiae vestrae 
diem tani bene fausteque celebratum congregati 

QUOD Acadernia vestra per annos CL CoUegiiim 
Neocaesariense niinciipata summariim scientiae rerum 
studium divinarum necnon humanarimi semper optime 
accuratissime fovebat 

QUOMQUE ista Academia Universitatis hodiernam 
Princetoniensis appellationem tma cum officiis n^aioribus 
illo die festo sibi ritu adrogasset 

VOBIS Amicis amicissimi gratnlabamur gratulamur 
sinceramqtie spem nostram vestram Universitatem Prince- 
toniensem stttdiosi suum desiderii atqtie laboris scholastici 
quasi agrum quendam qui accessionibus continuis se dila- 
tat atqite extendet Optimo cum qucestu culturam esse ver- 
bis exprimere vellemus. 

AUSTIN SCOTT, 

HAEC spei atque gratulationis Praeses. 

enwitiatio est scripta et data Novi 
Brtinsvici in Nova Caesarea II 
Non. Nov. MDCCCXCVI. 



[southwestern PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY] 

(oariceUatiud et J^zofeddozed 

ion iuezdita dd J^zedbijtetlanae 

iiixta (olazkdviUe 

Ihizid QJlludtziddlmld Jjoctiddlmld 

J^Dzaedidi Guzatozibud u^zofeddozlbud 

Qjn (ooUegio loeocaedaziendi (oommozantibud 

(^alutetn in Jjomino. 

^lod ad daeciiiated fetiad uocatl diunudf quo tenipote et 
Lhnltietditad Jotiticetonlendid Inaugwcabltiitf c/tatiad a^ttnudf 
atcfiie nodttum coUe^ain Macohum a3,, JhyoUf alumnum (ooi- 
lag'ti uedtti eundemcjiie a uobtd ^octotem J::>liiiodopkiae cteatum, 
legattitn dele^tmud. 

S)atutn in uzbe (Blatluullliendt /O . _^ 

,. . cv/ •/• ueozqiiid (^LLtntney, 

die ptimo Q/^ptiiid cJ cJ cJ 

SB,. <^, MDCCCxcvi. Ganceiiatlud, 

yeozgiud cJ. loicoladden, 

(^cztha, 



[ SWARTHMORE COLLEGE ] 



ozaeded et Uozofeddored 



et Uozojei 

in (ooUecilo (^wazt/ifnoztendi cotnmozanteA 

^zaedidi, Guzatoztbud, J^zofeddozibiid 

(ooUecjil lioovae (oaedaztendld 

vizid doctiddimld atcjiie iUtidtziddimid 

^. S. 3). 

Yaide ^audemud, vttl doct'iddiml et uiudHlddlmlf quod a 
pootd vocatniit ad fetiad daeculated die annwetdatio cented'uno 
qulncjiiaci edvtno podt cotidttam vedttam unwer.dttatem^ hoc edt 
die vicedimo decundo mendid (jctobtid anno iain ttandeiintef 
Jo^incetonlae kabendad. 

yicatiiim dele^itnud Jotaedidem tiodttanif Gatoluni .Jje 
yatniOf J::)kilodopkiae ^Joctccem, qui iiiiud diet ^'catuiationibud 
intetdit et ptaedend vobid digtiificatioiii dit nodttae dummae e^ga 
vod voluntatis, 

aezzid vv. J^zice, 

Saturn (^wattkmoziae, Scxlba (pro tempoze), 

die quinto Sunti Ozdtnid Qy^cademtct (^wazthm. 

A. D. MDCCCXCVl. 



229 



[SYRACUSE university] 

Cancellarius et Professores 

Universitatis Syracusanae 

Praesidi Curatoribus Professof^ibusqiie 

Collegii Neocaesariensis 

Salutem 

W "\ergratum est quod nos per litter as elegantissimas tanta cotnitate 

m M iiivitastis ut unum aliquem ex nostra or dine academico deligamus 

m vicarium qui hospitio usus vestro vobiscum spatio annoru??i cen- 

.M^ turn quinquaginta finito laetetur. Scitote, viri doctissi?ni, nos 

viruni ido?2emn qui praesens sit particeps gaudii vestri libenter esse delecturos. 

Vobis vehementer gratula?nur de tot annis Deo generique hominwn dedicatis 

in quibus etiam hanc civitatem constitutam anteceditis. ^od quanta ajicium 

fuit difficile aestimare, nam Collegium Neacaesariense cuius trice simumfesti- 

nat aetas claudere lustrum, perpetuo fons doctrinae artiumque optimarmn 

atque morum exejnplar fian mado reipublicae in qua conditum sed omnibus 

partibus orbis novi erat. Vestrum ia?n habe??2us unum ex institutis nostrae 

patriae maximis et precamur idem felicius utiliusque in posterum sit. Nobis 

o?nnibus qui pro disciplina nitamur est tfnum prapositum ut homines jneliores 

excultioresque faciamus. Optimus quisque collegium quad veritatem colat et 

quot annis maius liber aliusque fiat atque fidem faciat se etiam secundius 

fore laete contetnplatur. 

Universitas Syracusana quae spatium annorum quinque et viginti mox 
perficiet et anno insequenti ferias celebrabit Collegium Neacaesariense iam 
quinquiens aevo fujictum honorijicis verbis prosequitur et eodem tempore 
salutat Vniversitatem Frincetaniensem brevi rite faciendam quae velut sol 
"aliusque et idem'' nascetur. 

Datae Kal. Mai. MDCCCXCFI. 
Syracusis in Rep. Nov. Ebor. 

Jacobus R. Dajjy 

Cancellarius. 



[trinity college, CONNECTICUT] 









7" 



-n.'Od-au^ ■H'i Mo.'U-id-cM.t'n- tzt^-uud -A-id- ■a'n^T^tu-e'td-ezi.t.'id 'Ci^e'tc^'i^'t^i. 'i.i^'t^^iyCci.'ie ■ct-i^'j'Z^'C^ 

■o4.-u^^4^ €^e^e.-U'i-a^-ci.e a-u -ted ■a/n'Ptid 4^€■cle€■e-t'l.'i■i<i -ue^yi-e -e^ d-ci^L^e^yi'lei -o-ed-t-ady ■o-'^ 
^i4.-admei.-i^€i-ie^/'i-t 'O.uei d■^U'n■c ■c^t^d^.idd'i.^i^e ti-'i-i-n^tyT^-e.^ -tz-^T d^i-^i^<za^e-m 'O.u-e't^ 
j^i^B'vi/^.'i. d^eitz'^-yiud 4(0.^1^ t4^ ^n-nde^u-ez^u'i. ^ fAn'tyue-id ■t^€id (i/k-id^-oe^-a'n'i.'e'nd-ik. 
CyV-a-u-id €i€4.<}d ■tyC€€>d 'i-ecii'tci-a.d^^-i-U'Ud 'i^yi €Z-i^^d 'U-ed.^Ct-id 'U-ai^ei^-ti'jyyi ■a.'i'-t-t.ti'T'n, -n^^-ei- 

/I'Ci'n.-a'i.'id €-^ ■u.^-i'M^^ei^-t^ f^^-a-z-i^ryitze- ■a^M'n^^yi.'t^ ■ci't'M/i,€i-e ■tZ-t^cyCtdd'i/jyn'eze 'Jd^ei^-tk 
■u^d-t-i-a-e 'led-e'i.'C-itzdt.. Qr-ax't^ ^eud yde'7'ie-U'a'Ce'n^-idd-e.yf^ud i^'i -^i^u-a^i^^d-z ■ci^n^no^wpn. 

cr-ta.ed'e^€/e'yn ^yi,-a<i-€'t-wyrt. 'ta-a^ezU'C-Ta^Md -k^ iX-i-e^Uud cc-pid-i-t^^^-tk Ma^id -ac/d-t^ 

-u/i^-e ■fyid-i^'Pt-iddc-fyi-iy ■i-c4^e'7y>tud d^-'t-n^i^'t 'U^a^te-^^e. 



231 



[ UNION UNIVERSITY ] 



Praeses Professores Universitatis Concordiae Viris Illustris- 
simis Doctissimis Praesidi et Curatoribus et Professoribus 
Collegii Neocaesariensis Salutem in Domino. 

Cum gratulationibus plurimis de centum et quinquaginta 
tam honorate et utiliter actis annis, summaque spe de saeculo 
novo in quem jam ingressuri sitis, placuit nobis vestram invi- 
tationem ut die vicesimo secundo mensis Octobris anno currente 
hospitio vestro aliquo ex nostro ordine academico legato utemur 
accipere et Praesidem nostrum Andrew Van Vranken Raymond 
delegare, qui eo tempore vicarius noster apud vos fuerit. 

Datum Schenectadiae, 
a. d. XI. Kal. Aug. MDCCCXCVI. 



[united states military academy] 

Headquarters U. S. Military Academy, 

West Point, N. Y., May i, 1896. 

The Superintendent and Professors of the United States Military 
Academy, to the President, Trustees and Professors of the 
College of Nezv Jersey. 

Gentlemen : 

We have the honor to acknowledge the invitation of the 
College of New Jersey to select one of our members to represent 
the United States Military Academy at the one hundred and 
fiftieth anniversary of the founding of said College on the 2 2d 
day of October, 1896, and to express our high appreciation of 
the courteous remembrance. 

Colonel Peter S. Michie, Professor of Natural and Experi- 
mental Philosophy, the Senior Professor at the United States 
Military Academy, has been selected as the representative of 
the Academic Board to be present on the aforesaid occasion. 

We also take advantage of the opportunity to convey our 
best wishes for the prosperity and welfare of the honored and 
venerable College of New Jersey, and to express our conviction 
that, under its new name of the University of Princeton, it will 
be in the future, as it has been in the past, one of the justly 
distinguished institutions of learning of our country. 

O. W. ERNST, 

Colonel of Engineers, 

Supt. U. S. Military Academy, 

President of Academic Board. 



[ UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY ] 



United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Maryland, 

October 14th, 1896. 

Sir : 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the announce- 
ment of the President, Trustees and Professors of the College 
of New Jersey, that during this present month of October, ' 
1896, there will be instituted a festival to terminate on the 
one hundred and fiftieth anniversary day of the establishment 
of that renowned College. 

It becomes my duty also to state on the part of the Academic 
Staff of this institution that we appreciate the honor of an invi- 
tation to send a delegate as a guest of the College of New 
Jersey to take part in the formal and solemn inauguration of 

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

and, if it be possible, a delegate will be selected whose name 
will hereafter be made known to you in writing. 
Very respectfully, 

P. H. COOPER, 

Captain, U. S. Navy, 
To Superintendent. 

Francis L, Patton, D.D., LL.D., 

President of the College of New Jersey, 
Princeton, New Jersey. 



[ VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY ] 

SENATUS ACADEMICUS 

UNIVERSITATIS VANDERBILTIAE 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS 

COLLEGIl NEOCAESARIENSIS 

SALUTEM. 

Pergratae nobis litterae perlatae sunt quibus nuntiatis vos, viri 
doctissimi, ferias saeculares in honorem eorum qui vestram Univer- 
sitatem condiderunt instituisse. Profecto decet eorum virorum illus- 
trissimorum memoriam amore fideli conservare et sacram tenere qui 
templum artium liberalium apud vos struxerunt et omnia studia fove- 
runt. Optimo quoque iure censuistis et nobis et aliis quibus doctrina 
scientiaque curae sunt dandam esse partem in hoc die festo. Gratias 
ergo maximas agimus quod nos dignos habuistis qui ad has ferias 
vobiscum celebrandas invitemur, atque unum ex nostris Professoribus, 
GuHelmum L. Dudley, Hbentissime elegimus qui et testis sit nostrae 
erga vos benevolentiae et particeps vestri gaudii. Fraterno animo 
vos salvere iubemus, sperantes fore ut Universitas Princetoniensis 
multa in saecula duret et floreat. Valete. 

JACOBUS H. KIRKLAND, 

Cancellarius. 
D. Nashvillae, die XXV Septembris, 
Anno MDCCCXCVI. 



[ UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ] 

^ntt)ersitati0 'f^irititm. 

[?K/^s@a[B)a @®©aa© [p^(o)p"[E©g@[ga[E[u)© 
Collegii ^eci=Cae0. 

pe^ xfica'ciu^'ni ah^o^^ uobio celeoravibi^ XI. ftaf. Stou. p'Z^occl- 

auzcvnvwc opo et iH-tes et iawiayn et ain^^to^itate^M^ ai^tp^o^e^ 
:>ervtpe^C|^te ai^ti^pCiati-ba^ m^oijo Ivv orbir^e ■z-cx-'UA^n- •nxooo ittcep- 
ti.i/&o. 

eFe-tiae -ue^ttae Go^Ceqi^u-vn 'uetu<> S/leo-Gaco. yio^ititcnt^ iit-u- 

^i6et^a-fi U141- totae cot^^etattt "co^-u/c ac i-H4-pet'U44n- cowco-zhiixvna'uc. 
^a^amvio Qfc>tiztin<^t<yniac iw t^ept^l!). ^it^thi444oi4tatta X, 
li-al. ^tuv. atvno Sa^uti:> MDCCCXCVI. 

^o^avtiie^ o^raiite^b Steai^'H:>, 



[university of VIRGINIA] 

PROFESSORES • VNIVERSITATIS • VIRGINIENSIS 

VIRIS • DOCTISSIMIS • ILLVSTRISSIMIS 

PRAESIDI • CVRATORIBVS • PROFESSORIBVS 

ADHVC • COLLEGII • NEOCAESARIENSIS • lAMIAM • VNIVERSITATIS 

PRINCETONIENSIS 

SALVTEM • IN • DOMINO 

Ua^Ca^a^ g^a^i^t-J^s^-'yVUi^ii^, a^u^o^cL U^o^c- n-ut^cLo- vi^o^'j-L'^ Cuc^^'C e^^i^e^ p^cL-t^Vi^c^up^t-^ 
'ti'LurucL' ta^vku (s-e^v^^ ^-K^e^t^i^Ccw-e-, }rla^nt^ iuVc^uJC o^Lc-WL- L^6-e^t^ta^ti-i^ i^i'Wt'WLii^v 

-t-cuK^Ci^iS-c^i^, a^i^L-vkUU^^ e^i^t CL'cLcLi^'CtL-ii^ , a^t-cj^u^e^ uii^La^e^wu iL-o-p^coCo c^o-^h^ovCc-covh^ 

-t-e-i^ 6^£^oa^K^cL-a^£^ i«-£^tt^<>- -^o^cde-G^i^c^ 'K^i/^nvci^Aj^o.^m^ o^e^tcoe.A^u^i^'t' , e^cviu^u,^^ 

jrcLCi^LLoi^ /i. /2-o^Vt^i^'yog^s^t' , 
Praeses ordinis profe 

237 



[WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, MISSOURI] 

The Chancellor and Faculty of Washington 
University gratefully acknowledge the kind 
invitation of the President, Trustees and Fac- 
ulty of Princeton University to take part in 
the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth 
anniversary of the founding of Princeton 
College. 

They regret that they cannot be represented 
on that occasion, but they extend their hearti- 
est congratulations on the growth and success 
of Princeton University, and their best wishes 
for its continued prosperity. 

Washington University, 
St. Louis, October 15, 1896. 



238 



[western reserve university] 



J^zaeded et Jo>zofe 



eddozed 



Lbnlvezdltatld cJoeAezvatlonlA UccidentaUd 

yizid QjUuMii^Minis ^octiddunld 

J:Dzae6ldi et J.ozofeAdozlbiid 

(oollegii loeocaedailendld 

(^alute/n 



c/Sentgne no,) vocat'id iit celebtando fedtiun diem (doIU^'iI 
ibeocaedatieiidid centedtmum cjumqaa^edimum Intetdimud , 
Slloa^nad cfcatiad kabemud^ et libente'C vlcauum delega- 
b'lmud qui ptaeclata tempotld acti facta atqae dpein fidutl 
maloteni vobld gtatiiletwc. Valete, 

2)atutn (olevelandi XII, S^al, cXl^aiaJ 
iiLidu ^zaedidtd cFactdtaiijque 
pcz Q^cztbam, (?}, cB.SSlatnez, 



[western university of PENNSYLVANIA] 

^f t li u <it^^i[a l"ii> ccib c 11 1'af i>> ^e v i w^u i\>a ttie no ii> 

Sa'Ei4^t<2444 i/ii '3)otnii4o. 

afic|i(cm bcii<^a'ni44<> eoc noiit'co o^binc acabevHtco vlcazv-UA^^ 

(Eoffcqii '2!ft^oca■^^a^■i<l^^iyii>^ et -facte vi^-i^-'t 'Uofek>cU'i4i- ^o-m^I^ ai^ac, '3)ei- 
pt^oinbc-H/tia, co-natn.i) caw^a ptoi^n^oueM-bi :>ci<mti<xyn et {ite-tacy ue^l^-t^ae 
'vnaayiO'^ tiniv^'CMtati^ ipz-o^eciUa. i>uyU^ et ^naooivMO' ^voncvra-toiv tt^oci 
faa€>CH4Uv5 c|uv6u<:> m'Ut<izc coo hac litvtDe1^^itate -uioartiti4^ lice^:, c|^i4i ttt 
^aecw.fa'T-i&u^^ Ictik) ^>^^^K^A^\^ bie uice3ti44o ;>ecu-M.bo vn^in^it^ Octofi'ti^^ ab<>it. 

uet^i^i/tatii), hiiiiaiynxA/y vica'cuA'nv ct el i^ian^baitvu^ -ul: 'uo&tc> 'no^tza-n^^ 
^aiui^c-yn azatu^tcvtioMnn^c^u^c- -tebbat. 

eJCe^tt^icwev S. ScriSt-tet, 

iw aebi6u<5 acabeM4^i/Ci6 n/n^ti>e^i>itati3 

A. D. MDCCCXCVI. 




{ SEAL j 



240 



[WILLIAMS COLLEGE] 



Praeses Professores Collegii Guilielmensis viris clarissimis doctis- 
simis Praesidi et Professorlbus et Curatoribus Collegii Neocaesari- 
ensis salutem reddunt. 

Ex vestra invitatione nos Praesidem nostrum delegimus vicarium 
qui proximo mense Octobri gratulationes hujus Collegii vobis afferat 
et ad celebrandas ferias apud vos adsit. Interea etiam nunc vobis ac 
Collegio honoratissimo vetustissimo Neocaesariensi gratulamur non 
modo de ejus senectute beata sed etiam de annorum centum et quin- 
quaginta praeteritorum memoria splendida. Speramus porro fore ut 
Universitas Princetoniensis in futurum, sicut adhuc Collegium Neo- 
caesariense, vera felicitate fruatur. 

EBEN BURT PARSONS, 

Scriba. 
Datum in oppido Guilielmensi die 
vicesimo Junii 
A. S. MDCCCXCVI. 



241 



[university of WISCONSIN] 



Jotaedidl et Jo>zofeddoubud 
GeUbetztniL (joUegii Ibeocaedauendid 

<sf. S. 3). 

J^taeded et Jz>^ofeddoted 
ibnivetdltattd cJoel p. Widcond'ineiidld , 



^uod vod, vizi docttddtmi et dpectattddtmi, tite memozed dlebud fedtid 
ceiebzandid et venezabilem collegii vedtzl antlquitatein et danctiddimam 
eozum qui fundavezunt memoziatn pzodequi voiuidtid nee non Aollemn'ibuA 
pezactid ntine demutn tionien Ihtitvezdttatid addcidceze condtituidttd, qui 
dempez dtudwzutn pzope univezdalium patzoctniuni .Hi.iceptdttd, nemo est 
eezte dive zet publicae nodtzae communis dive maiozid Itttezazutn et dcienti- 
azum zei publicae civid quin ex animo gaudeat, 

^lapzoptez legavimud eod qui vobid daiutem ab ozdinibud nodtzid 
nuntient et muneztbud legatorum uutozum ihnivezditatid nodtzae apud 
voA fungantuz, 

^uoziun nomtna ac diqnitated haec Mint: 

Garoliid Soendaii (S^damd, JdJo.JJ., 

^zaeded, 

Molianiied yulUelmud <^teatndf JoJ^ . JJ ,, 

^hilod. et ^aedagog, ^zofeddoz. 






f c,^f^^ 2)eud 6, c)lb, inceptid faveat 

V__^ vedtzid et voA valcte, 



turn 
audemud 



[WITTENBERG COLLEGE] 

J^zaeded et J^zofeddozed 

Qjn (DoLlegio Yitebez^endl (oommoianted 

Jc>zaedLdi et J^zofeddoiibud 

(ootUcjii /oeocaedazletidid ^^od Jj'ie 

Vicedlmo ^eciuido ahajud cyJoendld 

c/iet Lbnlvezditad J^zmcetonietiMd 

(sf. 2). S. 

tood J::>tofeddoted (bolLegil yitebet^endU cjuod Gollegit 
loeocaedazietue fetta.) daecuiated itidtltuetlt multutn gaudi 
et fote at eaedeni ab eo ttezwni et ttezuin cetehteiiiuz teinpote jii- 
tiixo ^petamiu, cJooinae mllle annotutn cotiditae cotitlgldJe ludod 
daeculated quattutn celelnate me/nozta teiiemud, Lvtinain Ihiu- 
petditad JozlacetoiueiidU duo Tnulejlmo die aniiwetdatio fetiad 
celebtet ! 

yobidf Jo'taeded et J^zofeddoted hoiiegil ibeocaedaiiendu ! 
^tatiad agimu.) maxiniad pto tnvltatione duavi laet'iAd'un'iqne 
Jotciedidem, noAtzum, <&, o^. Uzt, vicauum qui koApltio udud 
vedtto vobtdcum eo tetnpoze laetetwc ubl quod antea fueiit (bolle- 
atum fueocaeda'clende Ihiiivetdltad J^jtincetoniendi) tunc ilte 
facta InaucjuzahLtut deLe^ahimud, 

Sduazdud U, vveavez, 

S)atutn Sptingficld'it Scz'iha cracaltatu. 

in cfbepublica Okwendi /^ ^ 

die quinto dctobti<i f seal J 



^. S. MDCCCXCVI. 



243 



[YALE university] 

J^taeded et (^oclt et J^tofe^ 

ihnwetdltatid JJaiendU 

Jo'taed'tdl Gwcatotibud Jozofeddotibud 

GoUeg'd ^meo-Gaeda'Ctendid 

(^olUnitila (^edquidaeculatia Gelebtatutld 

<sf. S. 3). 



yobid, vtzi liiudttidditnt et doctidduni, ex ammo ac vete gxatulamur non 
dolutn quod (oolleglum '^eo-(oaedaziende pet tot annod exdtttit floruitque, de? 
etlatn quia et vod et qui ante vod fuetunt, intet multad zezum politicatum 
mutationed, tnimo vera inter tot zezum kumanazum vicidditudined, dtudiid 
libezalibud vezaeque zelicjwni foztitez felicitez dempez condutuidtid, lloec nos 
vedtzam kanc kidtoztam pzaeclazam zedpiceze poddumud dine pecuitazi quodam 
gaudio dum tecozdam.uz muitod e nodtzid alumnid apud vod munezibud officiid- 
que et adminidtzandi et docendi konedtiddim.e functoA edde, 

uTGaxime vod decebit annum vedtzi (oollecju centedimum quinquagedimum 
fezitd daecuiazibud dignaze, dpezamudque foze ut idtae feziae taltbud caezimoniid 
audptcttdque tarn bonid agantuz ut ex dlo die in pezpetuum pezmaneat czedcat- 
que in dingulod annod Tbnivezdttad ^zincetontendid, 

noobid petgzatum fectdtid quod nod vobtdcuni eo die annivezdazw Laetazi 
voluidtid, congzuentique tempore a nobid deligetuz qui pzo nobid kodpitio vedtzo 
utatuz, 

^imotkeud 2)wigkt, ^zaeded. 

2). '^ovoSoztu (oonnecticutendi I \ 

V, %onad ^uint, S^, 2). i8^6. \^ 



[YALE UNIVERSITY] 



JJaie Ibnivetditi/, 
(jctobe'Cf lt 



bo the buidteed and cjacuitij of 
UDZtnceton ibnlvetdltij : 

ohe Gotpotatton of JJaU IhnwetMtij 
fiave aedic/tiated the cJoe^^etetid Jotofeddoz yeotge 
Sath Sflshet, S),3)., £,£, 3),, to attend a6 
thelt official zeptedentative the exetcided to be held 
at Jo unceton in comniemotation of the dedquicen- 
tennial annivetdazi/ of the founding of the holle^e 
of fbew JJetdei/, and to extend in pet^on the con- 
^tatiilationd which have alteadif been expzeddea 
Dij a fotmal comtnunication in wzitin^ , 
cJoij vote of the Gozpozation, 

(S^tte6t, ff, 8B, 2)extez, 

Secteiaty. 



245 



CANADIAN 



M 



[ DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY ] 



(^etiatud C^cademicud Ibnivezditatu JjaUioiidianae 



Lid 



Cc 



Xicid (olaziddimld Jjoctiddlmid 
Jozaedidl (ouzatozlbud Jo>zofeddOclb 
(ootUqil foeo-Gaedaziendid 
(^alutem. 



Yobldf vitt dpectatldditnl et doctiddimt; gtatiiiafnu'C quod ad Q^n- 
nlvezda'ctuni (Dentedimiun qutnqLia^ edlmum lbnwet,iltatid vedttae con- 
dttaejain btevi pteventuti edtid. 

Joet^zatum nobid fultf ablitnc aliquot mended, cetttoted flet'i vod; 
kaiic tantatn occadioriem dpectaated , dtatuidde Lhnwetditatein vedttain, 
quam bene noUmud nutzicem ainiain a^ttuun Jothetatiunif iucein 
docHinae et dclentiae Indt^nem, et vetudtate venetabiiem, nomine vetete 
omlddo, nomine appeiiate novo et ampllote quod ejud utliltatl aucto- 
zltatl famaeque accommodatlud vldeatm. 

JJe Invltatlone ut nod pez vlcatlum c/ezlld addimud a vobld 
mende Uctohtl celebtandld tam benlgna tamque konotlflca gtatlad 
llbentlddlme acjtmud : quamobtem J^taedldem nodtzum JJohannem 
cfottedt, JJ.^dJ,, Jj , G,Jo>.^ vluim zevetendtim et ezudltum dele^l- 
mud, qulf Ibumlne favente, kldce rfezlld addlt et paztlcepd dlt iaetl- 
ttae vedtzae ac kodpltllf et tedtlflcetuz quanto in honoze apud nod dlt 
chnlvetdltad J^^lncetonlendld quamtamque voiuptatem ejud auctud et 
ptodpezitad dempez nobld dint allatuza. 

^acobud y. cWoacytegoZf alb. G/g./ U), (^c, 

cBd, ef, Sdla. Soc, cRj, ef. (Ban. (^oc, 
Sen. S^cad. Sec^. 
Saturn dSalifaxlae, 
(Sapite ^Ib. Scotiae, ^^seal ) 

Mai: gal; \_J 

(£§, 2). MDCCCXCVI. 



[ McGILL UNIVERSITY ] 

®nt\)er6itati6 jfttacsiUianae 

^mtc MtQio in ^rothicta Canabeti^E^i M>itat 

^. ^, 2D, 



JPergratum nobis fecistis qnob annontm centum et quinqunginta feliciter peractorum loetam 
memoriam cckbraturi nos quoquc c finitima ac uicina cioitote in partem ganbii oestri vocave 
Boluistis. Mt enim inter omnia boctrinac bomicilia ubicnmque terrarum posita summa semper 
exstare bebet beneuolentia et caritas, quippe quorum patrocinio trabitae sint artes bisci- 
plinaeque omnes quae ah l}umanitatem pertinent, orto quobam sodetatis vinculo et ipsae inter 
se coljaerentcs, ito eos potissimum becet fratcrnitatis nexum maxime pracbicare qui, quamwis 
becursu temporum et rerum iniquitate separati, consrii tamen sibi sunt naturali ee quabam 
Moluntatis stubiorum ofEciorum communione inter se contineri. Cibentissimis igitur onimis 
occasionem tam lactam arripimus fraternam nostram erga cos amicitiam testificanbi. ^na 
in re ut semper alias communis sanguinis et communium originum sacrosancta nobis obuersa- 
tur memoria, quae ntinam nunquam consenescat aut bebilitetur! Sit quasi saeculorum quob- 
bam augurium futurorum quob l)ocquantuIumcumque est pietatis erga oos bocumentum et nos 
comiter inuitauistis et nos libentissime praebuimus. ^uib ? nonne similia utrique Uniuersi- 
tati fuerunt primorbia? et quamquam multum iam mutata est rerum conbitio ac species, quam- 
quam biuersam laubamus rei publicae rationem, genere tamen lingua ooluntatc institutis nonne 
obeo inter nos consociati sumus ut paene unius membra corporis esse wibeamur? ^^^^^^^^ 

QHuare scitote, niri boctissimi, cum multi et illnstres uiri laetnm ilium biem uestrae originis 
tjobiscum propebiem celebraturi sint, beneuolentiorcm abfuturum esse neminem quam quem do- 
lorum nostrorum interpretem belegimus, nestrae laetitiac testem oc participem. 3s erit |)ro- 
cancellarius Ijuius Hnioersitatis, 0»uliclmus |)eterson, illagister 5^rtium, Cegum JDoctor, cui 
CO magis corbi erit oestris intercsse feriis quob Scotia oriunbus et nuper in l)as terras trans- 
nectus probe scit quam bene be uestra Uniuersitate, perinbe ac be nostra, merita sit patria, cum 
Scotis Ijominibus tanquam proprium munus manbatnm esse uibeatur opus funbamento llni- 
uersitatum jacienbi quae l)obie c^stant in tot tamque biuersis orbis terrarum partibus. ©um 
nelimus accipiatis ut qui cos artissimi Ijuius cognationis uinculi optime possit commonefacere. 

CHuib plura ? !3^niuersitati uestrae nouum iam saeculum optimis auspiciis augustiore nomine 
ingrebienti c% animo gratulamur, fausta in futurum precantes omnia, ^uoecunque uos ^^.Imae 
illatris natttliciam celebrantes nobis optatis eabem et nos optare pro certo Ijabetote. ibiuot, 
crescat, floreat per saecula plurima Hniuersitas |)rincetoniensis ! ^ 

2Batum ilWonte dSiem 

a. 0. KBK Won. ©ctobr. JWJB«!i:«:0:X«!l:VK 



[queen's college and university] 



(yK^^n-fyue^d-i/aM -ajfiu^ /uii/ed (0eAl£Ml'U-a-n€i^d ■ca-n-c/il-a^. fid 
(0^^'e^/-t€i'nt Ai-a'^4'i€i-ue^t{i-€i'nt iX-^-nM-e-?^^ ^u^m dM-c€-€ddUd -ued/l-od 
^4t d^^m^Z-i- t-e d-n-a-^/n-ad A^i Mi'H^^dn -tzd^dt-a-iu-m d-e^-i^-m ■t^^Z'm 
-c-o-dd/i-'nu^i'l'ad €i€d€-€'l€/. cy/iQ-fZ^^d^Ptd^ ^-a^^Uy ddd.-Md-M- 'C'ad^'l'a/u= 
't€?-'li-ii'n'i--^Md <0'e-4d.€i€-ud ■adnd'i^M/^^ -add^^-nd^ d-i.d^A-€<^€-'tdd'f''m€- -aAlu/ 

// / / / ///• ■ ^ 



e/e'd-i-(Zd^'tZ€i€- pa-ud/iz-e €--1 pe€€-c€d d-i-n/. 






d€n€i€u 



'/u, 



\ai.,^^.L 



%e XXVII c4f&e-nd.M C^-ii/id, 
MDCCCXCVI. 



[university of TORONTO] 




"^'fut.KvUt 



Cancellariu0, atce Cancellariu0, pxatm, ptotz^mn^ 

®nibersitatts Corontonensts 

prae^iDi et ^arofe^jsortliu^ praes^tanti^jstmae 

®ntbersttatts 3^rtncetoniensts 

^alutem tnajcimam tiant* 
Viii €xtdlmtimmU 

53nitcr!5itatcm pracclaci^^imani annum ccntc^imum qum 
(juagc^imum iam pcrcgisf^c, nojef, ut no^ttram crga too^ 
ftcncbolcntiam o^tcntiamiisf no^tra^quc gratulationc^ gra^ 
tulationibu^ muitocuni aniiconmi abDamu^,l^a^ prac^cntcisf 
litttta^ tx Ijac plaga isfcjptcnttionali mittimus, fe*^^»^yr* 
«*^.<*^. ^unimani cnini c bc^tra gioria JJignitatcque laeti^ 
tiaiti ijoluptatcmciuc fapiniu^. <25ratulamut \itiW quob 
tot tanta^quc facilitate^ acatmnicasf injeftitui^tisf, qiioti tot 
■stuticntc^ ^cl^olarc^que in aiili^s tje^tcisf toiJJctiitf, quoU tot 
alumnojsf ^inguiarc^ cjriniio^ciue nunicrati^. <!J5i:atula^ 
niui: \itiW quoti artiuin JiticraUum tii.^cipiinatiimque bo^ 
nariim, quob iittcranim Jjumaniorimi, quoU ^cicntiac p^i^ 
io^opliiac tljcoiogiae, qiioti patriae catritati^, qiiob paci^ et 
litiectati^ jStiitiio^i jsenipec e^ti^ et fiti^ti^, -hi^-idrP^-^^-u^ 
«*^.^^. <aiioD lit ^tct fottuna tiomusf, ut ampli^jsfimi^ i)o- 
nocibii^ abuntjeti!?, ut magnum et reipubiicae et religioniiSf 
et ^10 ptat^mim temporibu^ fibei pubiitae prae^iiJium 
]5iti^, netje liiv* bictuti^ et giociae toe^trae riucece tie^inat, 
noiEf omne-s ciipimu^ et jsfummo ?tiiJ)io precamur. ^^^r* 
'♦=^.'«^.'*^.5*^.<*^. SDatum ex* ttniti: €^otont: -i^^-^d^-ikm^^-^^ 
men^: ^ctoft: ^r^-^i^'i^^'i^^^r^iu,^-^^ 



.*«^'' 





©nitrersitatis iJroHetjium 
apub (Corontonense? 



1896 



252 



JBn\\iimt}3 of (€oronto 
(SToipotatE .^eal 



EUROPEAN 



[university of ABERDEEN] 
/ ami)* \ 

^ud odc€zm^^M€Ud o4/ei€mnend€d 
chaedmi ^uia/Mi/ud (^i€mddM€mtd 
l{{)/^m'i (yun€i/{xnundid 

J. 



ciid^-iJiyed-idd-e^ ^-a^iyCe^-t-a -uedyCd^ -ct^^m d-ed-a.u-ic-ed^'i-ed't.-n^wytz tz-n.'n-WM^ ■it-t^'^ize. i^n- d'tu.-ci-t-id 
<Z/^€.€ic^'yn-i-cid €Ci^u<:cidde^ ^e4.-c<zd^u€- -tcz-cM-cc- 'Qiec-U'Ctz^ed m^ fi^n-i-'mv edde ■i'l'-te- ce-C£,'oU<i-ie. 

&3£.d^e €e€--t<i€id ■e^-i^^u4. ■a.-t-ux-c/ d-t-ad ■^un-a.ue -cd^ ^i^a-Piedn -^-a.-t-pci-t'C ^■ed'-id-t ■it-a-ceid't-M 
e-t ^-Cd^cu-uz J(itl'tedd^e^ 'i^n'ted CydizdtdtZ'l^dt'ii-CiJLd e'i ^■id-a't-uidt-U--c-ad ■c<idd.j(i:-dddd,-ad-e d'tue/'U^ 
■td't-cd. '^ie€i ■t.dd,/-e-Ci.€-'i-ie.d -edi-edi-t^ d-eduddd. ■et-GCdi.-eddtidH.ddd. ■co.dd.-cudd-ti. -tc^ ■c/e.'Ce-a-a.dCHddz dd-addd-i= 
dt€ii-e dd-e^u-i^u-ed'i.dddud -a,u€. ^d-i.-id dJi-ed^d-ik dd-i-edtde V^c-t-a-dd-t. -ezi^edde^ itiy.-tM^-ayti-e cnd-addd 
■a-t-a.'i'Ud^'ade'ti^d -o^ ^^e^-cedOd ■c■pt.dd■udd^ d^-u<z-c-adc(.did^ ■cddd^id-i-tntd Cy^Ae-vd^ii-a/t^oiduddd^ -t^i^-eze 
■tzA-u<Z dMKi 't^^dd^■(Z■n{. j^^duedudd.-^. C/d-ei'e^>iJi,u-ci dd4^-uid d-e-t. -c-eiudni pU-i^ -^d^-a-cc 
^■cd^-oyud't dd.-ad-'Cd-ci ■a.C'Ci-c^ddd't'a -i/Td. d-tt-e^^'id dd-e^o^i-t-'id de^/e^ -ac-ci^-ci^Cei^ dz-e^a^ue ^ 
dd-ad^td dydc-j^ddcd-i^ud -u-ez-c€idj.-C't ^xd^cid dted'ldi:id nc-c-i.ctedd'iiZ'^d -iuddc 't-eddd^od 

M^u-a^ dd-a-u-td. ddd€i^dd<i ed't izn-uxd-i.^ de€i dt^A-t^d^yi-cddud ■a-d^edd't-ed ^^-i-uiyuz cynddd^i-ct. 
co-eyiu-t dj-ed'td-a C/^ceit/e'Tdd-i-^.-a «« -addtddd-a ^--Oddd^idec^eid^-icd. 

C/dcie-j^€.^u<J 'B^ ^i^Ge ^■gidd-ced^uzdt4^d . 

XXX,^^ (Ldd^-^- MDCCCXCVI. 



[university of ATHENS] 

ANASTASIOS AIOMHAHS KITIAKOS 

np6xavcc 

TOT EN A0HNAIS E0NIKOT nANEniSTHMIOT 

4>PArKIi:K0 A. nATTON 

Ilpaxdvst 

TOT EN nPINSTQNH nANEHTSTHMIOT 

'AvSpc IXXoyciKp 

Xaipscv. 

'AajxsvaiTaT' Ixofxiaa^isea ra u[JL£Tspa YpafJ-fJ-ata ol? Ifpats [3o6X£a6ai aTioaTaXTjvat 
TTpo? DjJiai; Tcov Trap' f;[J.tv 7,a6-/jYVjTd)v tiva |j.s8siovTa wv [j-eXXsT' aYsiv sopTwv. 
'Hfisig, PsXtiots, TtoXXag [jlsv 6[ioXoYOU[XEV y6.^ixci.q xcp t£ 7:avad(pcp ©stj) r({) sIttovti 
"'Eyw £l[J-l 1^ aXvjOsia xal to (pwc" %al outcd Gsiav aTcoSsi^avxt r?]v spaTsivYjv aXv]- 
Gstav, %ciX D[xiv ijrt t^ xaXo%aYa6icf t'^ 7rp6<; rjjid?, %al eu tajxev ax; xotvou ovio? jraaiv 
i^fJLiv TOD DTtsp T'^? e7riaT7j[J-7j<; ocYwvoi; %otva<; )(pTj %al zaq iopToc? aYSCV xavTsiiGev 
o)<; aTTo axoTTtac avaaxoTtstaGat. G' yjv -Jjvuxafisv xal avuaeiv [j-sXXop.si' oSov, xal toi? 
TrapsX'/jXuGdai SiSaaxaXoi? si? to [isXXov xp^"3Gai- ou (ivjv aXXa Sta ts tyjv twv 
xaipwv )(aX£7r6T7]Ta, od y^^P s^sotiv fjjJLiv TYjXixaoG' opwatv olxTjia xaxa hizh twv 
PapPdpwv £V Kp-/]Ti(] Y^TW[i.sva TravTjYoptCstv, xal Sta to Tag sopTag ocYsaGai Iv 
oiOTTSp Td [j.aG7][J.aTa jrap' ^[iiv StSdaxsTai )(p6vo'.?, xal Sta to too? tottouc w? 
TuappcoTaTW aXXv^Xtov SisoTdvat, auTol [jlsv od)( oioi t' iajj-ev TrapaYsvsoGat, Ivetsi- 
Xd[j.£Ga Ss ArjjJLTjTpicj) MTtoTaa*}], avSpl xoofiicp xal (ptXoTrdXtSi xal t'^*; 'EXXdSoc 
Trap' 6[J.iv Ilpo^evcp Uvai ts Trpo? ujxdi; Iv Ttp xaGvjxovTi /pdvci) xal Ttjiyjoai [isv xal 
aoY/ap^vai ufxiv Trap' t^jxwv lip' oig zaq eopTac aYsts aoveD^aaGai Ss [jleG' djj-cov 

T(}) SoTfjpl TWV (pWTWV 0£(j), iv' WOTTEp SV T(p TTapEXrjXoGoTl OOTW Xal TO XoiTUOV [XTj 

TrauavjTai £TrtSa^[jiX£od|X£ yo? to aTrX£TOV xal Sy^ov aoToO ipwc ujilv t£ xal Tidat 
Toi?, wcjTTEp 6 ©sloe; ITaoXoc I'^Tj, ao'f lav CrjTOoatv. 
"EppwaG£. 

'0 npuxavtc A. Aco(j.7]§7jc Kupiayoc. 



[university of ATHENS] 

\Transla^ion^, 



ANASTASIOS DIOMEDES KYRIAKOS 

President of 

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY AT ATHENS 

and Professor of Theology 

TO 

The distinguished 

FRANCIS L. PATTON 

President of 

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

Greeting. 

We have received with great pleasure your letter in which you express 
the wish that one of our professors be sent to participate in your approach- 
ing celebration. We are sincerely grateful to the all- wise God who said, 
"I am the truth and the light," and thus showed the precious truth to be 
divine, and to you, dear sir, for your kindness to us; and we are aware 
that, as the struggle for knowledge is common to us all, we should make 
the celebration in common, and then as from an eminence survey the road 
that we have travelled and are yet to travel, and use the experience of the 
past as a guide to the future. But because of the hardness of the times 
(for it is impossible for us, seeing the evils done by the barbarians in Crete, 
to attend festivities), and because the celebration takes place in our term- 
time, and because of the great remoteness of our countries from one an- 
other, we cannot be present in person. We have, however, delegated 
Demetrius Botassi, who is a wise and patriotic man and Consul-Gen- 
eral of Greece to the United States, to be present with you at the proper 
time, and to acknowledge the honor and rejoice with you at your celebra- 
tion, as well as to join with you in prayer to God, the giver of lights, that, 
as in the past so in the future also, he may not cease to bestow his pure 
and holy light liberally both upon you and upon all those who, as the 
divine Paul saith, are seeking for wisdom. 
Farewell. 

President A. Diomedes Kyriakos. 

257 



[university of AMSTERDAM] 




^'caedtdt (Diitatozibud zhtofeddottbud 

eliid quod antea full (Dollegtum fbeocaedatlende 

abklnc UDnlvetdltad J^uncetoniendid fututa 

ef. S. 2). 

Ihnwetdltad o^nidtelodatnendld 

\ U A ^^ tnaxttne diffetant ffSotninci ab Sndhtuttd, id tpdtim edde nemo 
I dubttavetit, quod in inagnam dutnmam czedcente numezo annozum 
quo vixezlnt, Sllod, ad ultimam neceddltatem pedetemptim apptopin- 
) quanted, pauiiatim denedcendo maxcedceze cogtt iBatata, &Saec veto 
wbozc augentut, et eo Longiud dempez ao tntezitu jutuzo aoedde videntuz, quo LongiuA 
tempoze pzoceddezunt, Samvezo quum nemo ob illam caudam zecudet, quln fedtod 
agat died, qaibud amicum. aiiquem aut neceddazium duum, ceztuni dpatium 
tempozid petmensam, nataitcia celebzantem videat, quid magid apte, magid na- 
tuzae zei convenientez ftezi potedt, quam ut omned gaudeamud et gzatulemuz ubi 
clndtitutum aliquod bonum, utde, dalutaze, quale adkuc fuit 'Vedtzum (Bollegium, 
iam eo pezvenidde ceztiored facti dumud, ut confizmatum dpatio centum, et quinqua- 
ginta annozum bene pezacto, nan doium vivat vigeatque, ded ad amplioza addpi- 
zand, Hhnivezditatid ptwdegiid indignitum, novid vizibud in pzoximum daecuium 
ingzedi-poddit. oltaque %ni\>ez.ditati T^^CErOU^IEU^SI quae nunc zite facta 
inauguzabituz, gzatulamuz ihnivezditad Q^tndtelodamendid, neque miniiA din- 
cetaA gtatulationed diiad a 'Vobtd habezi cupit, quod legatum ad 'Vod mitteze 
nequivezit, qui voce et vultu tedtazetiiz, felicitatem "Vedtzam lloovaequc H.bnivezdi- 
tatid dalutem ei cozdi edde. mam loca zemota tnaximeque diiuncta, quae ini- 
peditnento fuezunt quin legatud nodtez ad 'Vod venizet, kaudquaquam nocent 
vinculo coniuacttoniA, quod communio dtudwzum libezalium condtituit intez omned, 
eod quoque qui numquam de videzint aut vidazi dint; amoz eozum qui bonad 
azted colunt non locid vicinid de conttnet, ded mazia dupezat et pzaecipitia tzandilit, 
cfSac pexduadione fzeti Hhnivezditatem nodtzam commendamud in amicitiam 
'Vedtzam, et dpezamud foze ut in multa daecula maneat, flozeat, ptopagationi 
dcientiazum diu dempezque, ut adkuc fecit (oollegium ^eocaedaziende, indezviat 
^nivezditad ^zincetoniendid, 

6. &XD. aoiL/lflf cBnectoz STIoagnificud. 

0Jj, oJodepkud ^Itta, Senatud S^b-actid, 
2). S^mdtelodami 
Mnno MDCCCXCyi mSende dctobzi. 



258 



[university of BASLE] 

cJlDectot et (^enatad Ihnlvetditatid 

cJSadtUendld 

Jotaedidi Gwcatottbud Jotofeddozibtid 

holle^tl lOeocaedatlendid 

(^altitem, 

(otim. nobtd ante aliquot mended littetae vedttae gtatlddtddlmae allatae edAent, qulbud 
nod tubetattd unutn de nodtttd deltgete, qui dolemntbud daeculazlbud die annivezdazio 
centedimo quinquagedimo academiae wdtzae celebtandld inteteddet, nemo neque turn 
neque exlnde tnventud edt, qui m,unud hoc konotificentiddimum, dudcipezet, '^hnum- 
quemque enim detezzeze videntuz et ittnezid indueta longitudo et necedditad pzaetectionum 
academicazum podt tzium mendium vacationem illid ipdid diebud indtauzandazum,, 
'Vobtd igituz, quae edt vedtta benwolentia, excudatod nod edde volumud. (Bum vezo iam 
viva nuntii voce quid dentiamud, dignificaze non poddumud, liceat pez littezad quidem 
vobid gzatulazi, quod podtquam pez tziginta ludtza facem (^cientiae populazibud dizenue 
pzaetultdtid, nunc in eo edt, ut in ampiiddimam univezditatid dpeciem atque fozmam 
exczedcatid, ^tiibud S)ivinae pzovidentiae donid vobidcum Laeiazi eo m^agid nodtzum 
edt, quod ad cam civitatium libezazum docietatem peztinetid, quacutn nobid foedezid 
dcdicet BSeivetici docltd (dt quidem pazva licet componeze magnid) miza quaedam 
indtttutozum publicozum dimiiitiido amicitiaque longaeva intezcedit, St vezo cum ab 
antiquid nodtzid dcientiae littezazumque dedibud longiud pzodpicimud, in died magid 
admtzabundi obdezvatnud, quam laete in tota vedtza tezza tamquam in dolo novali 
bonazum azttum dtudia eflozueztnt, quam pzofuda dit dTGaecenatum vedtzozum 
m.unificentta, quam laboziodam atque pzaedtantium fezacem fzuctuum de pzaedtitezit 
hominum doctozum vedtzozum indudtzta, z^uo in illudtzi optimozum quozumque 
ceztamine inclutam %t^t\W\^\\\ ^ttHQt^^tltXt^tWi pzincipem. quendam locum teneze 
pezauadum kabemud, Sdemque dpezamud atque cupimud, ut etiam venientibud dae- 
cultd vobid contingat zezum vezitatem acute explozaze, didcentium commoda humanitez 
adiuvaze, decud atque gloziam addeze patziae, 

2)atum cBadileae die Xy mendid ^ulii anni MDCCCXCKI. 

(Datoiud yon det (yl^uliUf 

Szozectoz. 



[ UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN ] 



COLLEGIO NEOCAESARIENSI 

DISCIPLINAE SEVERAE AUCTORI 
RELIGIONIS PURAE DEFENSORI 
ARTIUM LIBERALIUM CULTORI 

QUOD PER CENTUM QUINQUAGINTA ANNOS 

lUVENILEM JUVENILIS MUNDI AETATEM 

ET CORPORIS ET ANIMI LABORIBUS 

AD SUMMA IN RE PUBLICA MUNERA EDUCAVIT 

SEMISAECULARIA TERTIA 

ANNI MDCCCXCVI DIE XXII OCTOBRIS 

FAUSTA FELICIA PRECANTUR 

AVITAEQUE COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS LAUDI 
NOVA IN UNIVERSITATE PRINCETONIENSI INCREMENTA EXOPTANT 

RELIGIONIS STIRPIS STUDIORUM 
SOCIETATE CONIUNCTAE 

UNIVERSITATIS FMDERICAE GUILELMAE BEROLINENSIS 

RECTOR ET SENATUS 




[university of BERNE] 

LITTERARUM UNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS PRAESIDl, 
CHRATOEIBUS, PROFESSORIBUS ILLUSTRISSIMIS ATQUE DOCTISSIIIS 

LITTEEAEUM UNIVEESITATIS BEENENSIS 
RECTOR ET SENATUS S. 

} NSTITUTI Vestri collegialis olim, nunc academici fundationis diem sesquicentesimum ipso 
hoc anno pie celebraturi quod nostram quoque Litterarum Universitatem Isetitiarum 
Vestrarum participem esse iussistis, summo nos affecit gaudio et mira qnadam animorum 
satisfactione. Docuit enim nos invitatio Vestra corde sincerissimo atque amicissimo 
effluens idem Vos sine dubio sentire, quod nos, non solum singulas uniuscuiusque Litterarum 
Universitatis disciplinas, ne prseclara ilia Scienti^ unitas misere depereat, artioribus, quam nunc fit, 
inter se vincuUs esse coniungendas, verum etiam ipsas Litterarum Sedes, quotquot in vasto terrarum 
orbe Scientiam laptissime eifiorescentem alunt, colunt, evebunt, sibimet propius esse admovendas. Arti- 
ficia nimirum atque technas, quae dicuntur, inventaque ad vitam quotidianam pertinentia summa cum 
invidia propter inliberale commodum ab exteris nationibus aut prohiberi omnino aut severis legibus 
restringi solere, satis constat, Scientiam vero ipsam, unam atque individuam, publica luce perfusam 
nee non internationali quodam flore exuberantem, qusecumque ubique recte reperiuntur atque rite 
emendantur, cuncta undique studiose collata almis bracbiis amplecti, facile intellegitur. Quod cum 
probe nos cognovisse confidamus, benivolentia Vestra baud dici potest quanta Isetitia nos affecerit, quia 
a Vobis quoque novos Litterarum fontes ad nos redundaturos esse certo speramus, siquidem, ut Tul- 
lium nostrum auctorem sequar, „ omnes trahimm- et ducimur ad cognitionis et scientise cupiditatem, 
in qua excellere pulcbrum putamus, labi autem, errare, nescire, decipi et malum et turpe ducimus." 

Accedit, quod diei festi celebratio a Vobis ineunda grato Vos simul animo eorum, qui antea in 
Musarum sacellis commorati sunt, meminisse demonstrat. Quae virtus Vestra, ab bodierna rerum setate 
propter speculativam privatarum utilitatum abundantiam frigidius, quam par est, babita, ob id potissi- 
mum summopere lavidanda esse videtur, quia nulla potest inveniri Scientias pars, quse non, prioriim 
cogitatorum acumine nixa, viam quasi ad altiora tendendi a superioribus patefactam posteris esse sibi 
persuadere debeat. Multifariam certe ab anterioribus erratum esse baud negaverimus, sed ipse error, 
veritatis privignus, bomines non sine ratione ratione pr^ditos semper ad castam Veritatis aram reduxit 
novis observationibus iisque illustrioribus ditatos. Neque vero nimia maiorum admii-atione imbuti molli 
animorum segnitia debtescere nos patiemur, sed communi omnes alacritate evecti socias ad studia 
liberalia acerrime promovenda manus nobis porrigemus. Turn demum clarissimum illud Veritatis 
templum exaedificabitur, undique unicum atque perfectum, ab omni labe bumana purum, lucis divinae 
plenum. Q. B. F. F. F. Q. F. 

Datum BEEN^ a. d. XII Kal. Jul. a. CIOIOCCCLXXXXVI. 

HEEMANNUS HAGEN, PHIL. DE. 

LITTEEAEUM UNIVEESITATIS BEENENSIS 

H. T. RECTOR 

261 



[ UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA ] 







J^ector et gcnatus 

OCniv>ecsitatis ^Bononiensis 

]?racsl6l Quratoribus Doctorlbus 

C(olleGii X^eocaesariensis 
B 

ccepimus Iftteras Destras bumaniter scriptas, quibus roaatis ut t>e 
nostris unum aliquem at) lt)os mittamus, qui teriis saecularibus, 
quos propeMem celebraturi estis, buius XHniversitatis nomine 
intersit. 

|os quibem Vobis benigne ac Uberaliter invitantibus satis* 
tacere nostramque erga Dos observantiam coram t)ecla* 
rare majime vellemus. Se& cum locorum longinquitate 
i& tacere probibeamur, cooitatione complectimur Dos absentes, 
sollemniaque a Dobis instituta, quorum res et eventus propter 
stu&iorum societatem nobiscum communes esse putamus, men* 
tibus atque animis prosequimur. 

ieocaesariense Collegium non ita sane vetus est, nee plus 
j quam centum et quinquaginta anni a primo eius ortu 
numerantur. Seb quemabmo&um toeberatae civitates, 
quarum e numero civitas est Destra, incolarum virtute et inbus* 
tria libertatisque, cuius semper stuMosae tuerunt, beneficio in 
summas opes brevi pervenerunt, sic Destra item Hcat)emia 
t)octorum bominum planeque sapientium opera et labore quam 
celerrime omni Msciplinarum genere floruit, ut iam vetustissi* 
marum Buropae xanirersitatum Mgnitatem aemuletur. 

iuare nos cum cetera cupimus Dobis prospere evenire, tum 
1 in primis optamus, ut lllniversitas princetoniensis, quo 
I nomine Collegium Beocaesariense novum saeculum in* 
gressurum est, gloriae patrimonium a maioribus relictum magis 
magisque augeat, lucemque &octrinae et sapientiae suae terra* 
rum orbi tribuere pergat, boc ejistimantes omnia quae ab bu* 
mani generis commo^a, quae a& lau&em atque bonestatem per* 
tineant, bisciplinarum et artium progressione ac propagatione 
praecipue contineri. 

5). ;3ononia IkalenMs Sejtilibus /IOH)CCCf CM. 







iTranciscue IRoncati, 

0. f. IRector mniversitatis. 

262 



[university of BONN] 




ECTOR et senatus universitatis Fridericiae Guilelmiae Rhenanae docto- 
rum concilium in foederatis civitatibus Americanis antiquissimum, quod 
coUegii Neocaesariensis nomine CL annos feliciter exegit iamque uni- 
versitatis nomine Princetoniensis novum aetatis et honorum cursum au- 
spicatur, plurimum salvere iubemus atque avere. 

Vellemus quidem diebus sollemnibus, quos ob has fortunae nominum- 
que vices inituri estis, per legatos ipsi interesse et vota pro incolumitate gloriaque Vestra 
nuncupare coram, sed quoniam maria interiecta et longinqua itinera vetuerunt, hac tamen 
epistula nostram Vobis adsensionem et quam in pectore fovemus gratulationem et com- 
precationem declarari voluimus, nam cognatione nos Vobiscum teneri iunctos quasi quos- 
dam consanguineos sentimus, non modo quod disciplinarum ac doctrinae libertas semper 
Vobis cordi fuit, non secus ac rei publicae isti in qua universitas Vestra innata est libertas 
fidei et religionum actuumque civilium, sed etiam quod originem traxisse collegium Vestrum 
meminimus ab ilia studiorum et contentionum gravitate dignitate virtute, quae post refor- 
mationis tempus Batavos et Britannos nobilitavit ; eaque ratione Vestram historiam repli- 
camus ad memoriam operum laborumque quibus Europeae gentes quondam ac maiores 
nostri insudarunt. et quae ab initio fuit litterariis collegiis in nova tellure constitutis atque 
in vetere coniunctio et societas eam proximo tempore variae commeantium et conversan- 
tium necessitudines auxerunt amplificarunt. quam ob rem in votis quibus festissimos ludos 
Vestros sesquisaeculares prosequimur, hoc summum est, ut permaneat haec coniunctio 
communitasque in annos omnes magis magisque profutura utrisque. etenim in finibus 
Americae natura rerum hominumque vita quae animum attentum et curiosum prompta 
cogitatione et acri percutiant plura fert quam in nostris regionibus, et locupletes cives 
multo largius ac liberalius studia litterarum adiuvare eisque quae opus sunt subministrare 
solent. quod si ex alacri potentium ingeniorum concertatione bonarum artium inventio 
conceptio explanatio vigebit sub utroque Phoebo, exemploque nostratibus dato a Vestrati- 
bus tam hie quam illic ornatissimae erunt et paratissimae sedes musarum, tum impetrasse 
nos laeti lubentes profitebimur quae optavimus optataque consignavimus sollemne Vestrum 
condecoraturi ominibus optimis. 



Bene rem gerite et valete 

Dabimus Bonnae a. d. V. Kal. Octobres MDCCCLXXXXVI. 

Rector et Senatus Universitatis 

Fridericiae Guilelmiae Rhenanae. 



MAURITIUS RITTER, 

h. a. Rector. 



HOFFMANN, 

Seer. Univ. 



263 



[ UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS ] 

W^^uo^<iU<i6, h 15 av^U, 1896. 



be 




9Tlei>i>ieu^i5-, 



a^atitube -pout -dvo-m^.^-u-'t aue -fui a |ait lii (Bollcac 
be ^zi\\c<i^oyi e-H ivnjil'anl: 14.14- be i^e^ i44etn^te^ a I'an-ni- 
ue-Ti^ai'te be c!»a |oi4batiot4. 

Cei>l: Siei^i d t^az^t ciuii i>e uott, d cau-dfH be 
la 'tep'tii^e bei> coi^-t^ auan-t -fa bate bi4 22 Oc-to&^e, bani5 
Vivnpoci^c^iMiti be i>e |ai^e ziiipz<i<^<ivi^<2,z d cecN -ptei^; ca^ il 
eotii4ae, cj-ue t>leii- 44'e^ plui> i-itile a-w- y>z<yc^z<i<^ paci|tc^ue 
be V^xu-vnanitc ai4-e ceiv a/c.ai4-be5^ 'tei4i4ioi4i> b^^oynynnc)- 
'U<Z'nu<s be -toi4-5 -fe^ poii^il^ bi4 alo-^e e-t viauan-t c^uu-n^ 
<y<iU't ^ut : le beDC'Eopi3e4i4ei4i' incei>:5ai4-t be la Science. 

^ei4i-Ele<r- aotee't, £)lte:>c^ieu't:^, l^oopzco&loyi be^j- 
i^ei4'l>li44ent(> be tyzoiovibc coi4c>ib4^>a1:ioi4 bi^- cct-pi^ proleo>- 
;>oi^al et le^ i44-iei4c>. 

£e ^iecteti-t, 

(SI STle.^^ieU't^ lei> ^te^^ibei^l", (S^uzat<iuz^^ e-t ^zo^<::><iuz6 bu (College 
be ^'tirtcel'oit fSTci^j ^e'ti>ei4]. 



[university of BUDAPEST] 

IRector et Senatus 

IReoiae Scientiarum 'mnlversitatis Ibunoaiicae Bubapestinensis 

IRectorl /Iftagnifico et IfncliPto Senatui 

aca^emtco 'lllnivereitatia princetoniensie. 

J@UMMA nos laetitia affecerunt litterae Vestrae, quibus 
certiores nos fecistis, illustrem Universitatem Vestram die 
20- Octobris h. a. sollemnia fundationis celebraturam esse. 

Quae sollemnia cum ex animi sententia Vobis gratula- 
mur, turn vero in posterum omnia fausta atque laeta opta- 
mus Universitati Vestrae ominamurque. 

Quod praegravibus rerum conditionibus, non per legates 
publice missos gratulationem nostram facere nobis conces- 
sum est, vehementer dolemus. 

Valete, nobisque favete. 

Dabimus Budapestini in Hungaria die 4- mensis Octobris 
anno Domini millesimo octingentisimo nonagesimo sexto. 

Rector et Senatus Universitatis. 

Stephanus Bognar 

Archi Dioecesis Strigoniensis Presbyter, S!! S^ Pont. max. 
Camerarius, Philosophiae et Theologiae Doctor; Studii 
biblici novi-foederis Professor p. o. S. Sedis consid. Assessor 
Societ. litter, philos. S!! Thomae de Aquino Praeses item 
compl. erud. Soe Collega, etc. facultatis Theologicae eme- 
ritus Decanus et Praeses; Scient. Universitatis Rector 
Magnificus. 



[ UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE ] 






HINC LUCEM ET POCULA SACRA. 



Collegii i^eocaesariensts 

^raesitii Curatoribus ^rofessoribus 

^. 1* B. 

®lnil)ersitas Cantabrigien0is. 

'^cfvevi tenter ia<^^ta^4vu.z^ -viz^i hocti.5^l1v^'^, Qoti^aiu-m 'uc^tzuvt^t czvituwv 
n^ aui'nan^cvain'ta. <x^U.inc <xnyio:> i<2,iicVc<i/v |ti.i4-ba-tt^i4i- |ci^iaiv ^jaecixi/fa-tciv 
ei>Ae ciite^^z-atuzuvn^ et tot (xn-wox^vinv \>ici^u.A ^^ao.ctatU'Vn pz^o&atu4i4-cj-'ne 

^ohie zccozhazl Q^oUc^i^ii^m \>a<^tz^u^vyi ii-v:>i.^vK2- eo i'ewi^oi^e |ui:>^e co\ioti- 
^x^wA^x^ c^uo rci^io tota, c^w-ae cizcu.-vn iacdhat^ ab^vtc ivj^pet^U SSt^Ua^t- 

bkyi-u-wctawt, tavHcn^ cowivn'uWx^ aettC'^i^, coynn^u^WvA ilyiau.a^^ covn- 

con^ociatani^ cowic^nx-a^azi. tsx-<:xo uoluttia^'i. -uec^t^^ae -CiScttte'C- oS^ecH^iti e 
p'to^c^doi^i6i^^ 'Ho^tt^i:> ixwu^m howozlii^ causa fe^atat^ ab -uos mittixvvu^^ 
Cj44.i, ^Is M\:<iX'i:> ah -uos pt^clatii*, wottX'U^vn om-n^i'um novniw<i^ -wovi 'wxoho 
prael^et^ito^ a-nvi-oi> pro2>pe^e pei^actoi> (Bof-Ceaio xyzttx-o atotu^et-U't, oc^b dtianx 
iw y>oiX^ZM.x/n ^^xxlxj^'CMiati i>e^ti^ae pe^ sac-ctt'fa p-^rim-a fut speranaus] 
bxi^atxx/cac oxxxxxia ^au^ta cocoptcl". ^aletc. 

^cx\:xxvpx C^a-H-ta^^iaiae 
£)lt<2-'»ti>i3 ^ui^ii bie <MA.cxzto 

A. S. MDCCCXCVl. 



[university of christiania] 



mooc aMijpicat'l^^ivno b^le a.h. XI Qat 9tou. k. a. 

S. 2. 5). 



£iti2/rao ojc^-t^o^, m^ifiw^ tvtbicatii> |oi^e ut iwciutuM^i iiiub 
n-oc> ho^A.o^■i^c^^^ti^im■<l^ t^ -ueot'&a oi-i>i/tate ^ox-'uit^ wuvio tiid-i- 
accepti44-ue>. STavH- au<x-vnvic> aS 0ti44e^lcavvo o^Se, patr^va ttoo- 

Cj^ue 'nxQ.ziio coviazattiinvm^z^ pta ccc awivni iy<iy[X^iyitia XK^la 

*3)alja44atii5 Gfai^iiNttaidiae bie II i4tcn:>t:5 
Octo^^i^ MDCCCLXXXXVI. 

0. g. Sc4iot^. S. Obla^tb. ^l. Dng^tab. §. §it.fb6e^c|. 



267 



[ UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN ] 

the tonivezdtttf of J^zinceton, 

^he ihtiwetdlti/ of Gopenha^en begd leave to thank the 
J^zinceton ibnive'Cdlty modt hea'ctili/ fot the honot confetted 
upon it by the highly complltnenta'cy invitation teceived jtom 
the Gommittee of the (^edcjiiicentennial Gelebzation. St 
would have been a gteat datidfaction to the Lhnivezdity of 
Gopenhagen to have been able to take pazt in the celebration 
by dending a teptedentative; but the time appointed fot the fes- 
tival tendetinc/ thid unfottunately inipoddible, we mudt content 
outdelved with sending owe bedt greetings and congratulations ^ 
expressing at the same time the sincere wish that our sister 
Ihniversity of J^rinceton may flourish and thrive in future, 
as it has done hitherto, a benefit and a glory to its country 
as well as to (Science and (Scholarship in general, 

Gopenhagen, aJbarch, i8g6 . 

ah. u. Jseiiiken, 

S^ectoz of the H.bnivezdtty . 



[ UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN ] 



%ixn StotriMiinis Snrtraink 

T^xmiii CnratnribM ^jprnfranritas 

Cnlbgii fiMajMrmis 




pet^a'tatu44t i4o&ii5 €(>t, <yc<xtiaticiu<i ijel ^4^aociynci^ -uol>ii> 
aai'vnu^ ; O'vnnia ^X4^ta DoSi^ 'p'tecai4,tei> -non i^ol-u-nt 

i44cn4^eal^, i'vnvno ^i'ZA\xioz ii^t ai4i40i> -Plat. 
TluttEtlOtll \>^Atza<i -vxon tyoyM^n^^u^^ auln o^&(U!^tiaynuz^ ib<io- 
c^U€ b^/H^<:^via'vimu<^ CJVOUCZti4^14^ ^v<lVV>il^toyi VStl't- 

<£i^^. 5).^ 'vizo^ ^zo^o<^^ boctoi^, i^pec{■a^■oi5, cj-ui coza-m 
tc^yUflc^nturZ c^u^cintu4^^ ^aubiu44i ecc ^Q^tzi^ 2iU^zi<i 
pe^^ocpci>iti4-Ui>, cj-uot Sona ^^■ni'xy^ziyVcaii '^'ti'nccto-ni- 



16° maU, 1896. 






269 



L^ 




[ UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH ] 
To 

The PRESIDENT and PROFESSORS of the 

UNIVERSITY of PRINCETON. 

mnlvcrsltg of JEDtnburgb, 
3l0t Julg 1896. 

j ear anb Ibonoureb Colleagues, 

5t is witb no or&inarp feelings ot pri&e an& s^mpatbi? 
tbat we offer pou our beart^ congratulations on tbe auspicious occa* 
sion of i^our I50tb Hcabemic Birtbbap, anD on pour bigblp merite& 
promotion from tbe rani? of a College to tbat of a XHni versify. 

Me bave ever fouDlp regar^eb tbe College of IHew Jersey as a near Scottisb 
Cousin, nap, almost as a cbilD of our own. llDer bistorp an& traMtlons, e&ucational, 
pbilosopbical, anb religious, bave erer been closelp allied to ours ; an& from ber 
foun&ation bp members of tbe presbpterp of IRew lorl? bown to tbe present Dap 
manp of ber leabiitg men bave been eitber of Scottisb extraction or alumni of 
Scottisb lllni versifies— suffice it to mention tbe illustrious names of president 
Mitberspoon in tbe last centurp, anb jpresi&ent /ID'Cosb in tbe present. HI* 
tbougb as a XHniversitp we are entirely undenominational, we cannot refrain 
from expressing our warm admiration of pour College as a cbampion of civil 
anD religious libertp, a sacred cause for wbicb manp of our common ancestors 
laiD Down tbeir lives. 

Me most glablp recognise tbe fact tbat pour College bas for manp pears past 
performed all tbe functions of a 'Clniversitp witb signal success. Me rejoice to 
bear of tbe furtber expansion of pour Scbool of pbilosopbp, of tbe admirable 
equipment of pour Scbool of Science, an& of tbe ban&some en&owments wbicb 
Hmerican liberalitp anD public spirit bave placed at pour disposal. Me tberef ore 
beartilp welcome pou now as a Sister^mniversitp— tbe mniversitp of iprinceton— 
born, /iDinerva^lil^e, so fullp an& splenbiMp accoutred as to entitle ber at once to 
ranh among tbe foremost of ber elt)er sisters, 

/Iftap (3o& abim&antlp bless anb prosper pou in pour beneficent career, an5 
map 1be bin& tbe Scottisb cousins of tbe ©lb Morlb auD tbe IRew ever more closelp 
in tbe bonbs of esteem anb affection ! 

3n name anb bp autboritp of tbe Senatus Hcabcmicus of tbe IHniversitp of 
jEMnburgb. 

W. MUIR, Principal. 

J. KIRKPATRICK, Secretary. 



[university of GLASGOW] 

\Telegrat,i\ 



Glasgow, Oct. 12, 1896. 

President Patton, 

University, Princeton, N. J. 

Glasgow University heartily congratulates 
Princeton University. Deeply regret that work 
here prevents any member of Senate attending 
celebration. 

Principal Caird. 



[university of gottingen] 



UNIVERSITATI PRINCETONIENSl 

OLIM COLLEGIO ■ NEOCAESARIENSI 

NOBILI ■ ORNAMENTO • MAGNI • AMERICANORUM • POPULl 

CONIUNCTI ■ NOSTRAE ■ ACADEMIAE • PER • AMICITIAM 

A • PATRIBUS ■ TRADITAM • TRADENDAM • POSTERIS 

QUEM ■ FLORENTEM • ET • IN • DIES ■ CRESCENTEM • VARIA • BONARUM ■ ARTIUM • LAUDE 

LUBENTES ■ SUSPICIMUS ■ ET • CONSALUTAMUS 

LATE LUCENTIS • LITTERARUM ■ FACIS • IN • PARVULO • OPPIDO • GESTATRICI 

QUEMADMODUM • NOS ■ QUOQUE ■ RURALEM ■ FERE ■ SECESSUM • LAUDAMUS 

ET • OTIUM ■ LITTERIS • APTIUS 

SODALI • NOSTRAE • ATQUE ■ AEQUALI • IN • STUDIIS • COLENDIS 

CONSILIORUM VITAE ■ ET • CONDICIONIS • ADFINITATE ■ ETIAM • IN • DIVERSA • ORBIS ■ REGIONE 
POSITI • GAUDENTES 

TERTIASEMISAECULARIAFELICITER AGENDA 

EX • ANIMO • CONGRATULAMUR 

NOVA • SAECU LA ■ BON AE • FRUGIS • PLENA • AUGURAMUR 

UNIVERSITATI ■ FAUSTA • OMNIA • UT • COLLEGIO EVENERUNT 

AUCTIORA • COMPRECAMUR 

UNIVERSITATISGEORGIAEAUGUSTAE 
PRORECTOR ET SEN ATUS 



DABAMUS ■ GOTTINGAE • DIE ■ IV • MENSIS MARTI! AD MDCCCXCVI • 

L. BAR. 



272 



[university of greifswald] 

VNIVERSITATIS 
LITTERARYM GRYPHISWALDENSIS 

RECTOR ET SENATVS 

COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS 

PRAESIDI CVRATORIBVS PROFESSORIBVS 
SALVTEM PLVRIMAM DICVNT 

quo maiore iam floruit tempore viri illustrissimi et doctissimi 
academia nostra eo magis gaudemus sororibus eius iunioribus 
non solum in Grermania natis verum etiam in ceteris terris 
bonae enim litterae firmissimum sunt vinculum quo inter se 
coniunguntur omnes nationes pie igitur atque ex intimo animo 
vobis gratulamur et gratias habemus quam maximas quod 
comiter voluistis ut unus e collegio nostro festissimos eos dies 
vobiscum celebraret quibus collegium Neocaesariense uno iam 
saeculo peracto in novam universitatem Princetoniensem sit 
rite transiturum nimiuni dolemus locorum spatium qui inter- 
iecti sunt inter vestras nostrasque regiones quia hoc solum 
nos impedit quominus suavi illi invitationi obsequium demus 
valete nobisque favete. 

PAULUS GRAWITZ, 

h. t. Rector Acadetniae. 

I SEAL J 

273 



[university of HALLE] 
QVOD BONVM FELIX FAVSTVMQVE SIT 

INCLVTAE VNIVERSITATI LITTERARVM 
PRINCETONIENSI 

QVAE CVM ANNO SVPERIORIS SAECVLI QVADRAGESIMO SEXTO 

HOMDTVM EGREGIORVM SAPIENTISSIMO CONSILIO CONDITA ESSET 

VT ARTIVM lilBERALIVM STVDIVIM OMNIBVS MOBIS FOVERET AC PROPAGARET 

HVIC NOBILISSIMO ET CVM SALVTE TOTIVS REIPVBLICAE ARCTISSIME CONEXO OFFICIO SVO 

NVNQVAM DEFVIT 

ADIVTA CVM MVIiTORVM VIRORVM LIBERALITATE QVI VARUS DONIS ET INSTITVTIS 

EAM INSTRVXERVNT ET EXORNAVERVNT 

TVM VERO LIBERTATE DOCENDI DISCENDIQVE QVI VT AB IPSIS CONDITORIBVS EI 

CONCESSA ERAT ITA VSQVE AD HODIERNVM DIEM SEMPER INCOLVMIS MANSIT 

QVARE PER TRiaiNTA QVAE ELAPSA SVNT LVSTRA CVM INDEFESSA PRAECEPTORVM ACADEMICORVM CVRA 

ET STVDIO TVM DEI OPTIMI MAXIMI GRATIA ET BENIGNITATE 

NOBILISSIMO COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS NOMINE LAETISSIME FLORVIT 

NVNC VERO VNIVERSITATIS LITTERARVM NOMEN ET DIGNITATEM NACTA 

IN EODEM QVEM BTVCVSQVE TENVIT HONORIFICENTISSIMO CVRSV PERGERE PERSEVERAT 

CVM EXIMIA ET IVVENTVTIS ACADEMICAE ET TOTIVS REIPVBLICAE VTILITATE 

SACRA NATALICIA SESQVISAECVLARIA 

DIE XXII MENSIS OCTOBRIS ANNI MDCCCXCVI 

RITE PERAGENDA 

EX ANIMI SENTENTIA GRATVLANTVR 

FIDEM VOLVNTATEMQVE SVAM TESTANTVR 

PEO SALVTE ET INCOLVMITATE EIVS PIA VOTA NVNCVPANT 

FAVSTA FELICIA FORTVNATA OMNIA PRECANTVR 

VNIVERSITATIS FRIDERICIANAE HALENSIS 

CVM VITEBERGENSI CONSOCIATAE 
RECTOR ET SENATVS 



EBERTH 

li. t. Eector 



274 



[university of HEIDELBERG] 



UNIVERSITAT PRINCETON 

bringt 

zur Feier ihres 

EinhDDdert und Fiinfzigjahrigen Bestehens 

frohen und lierzlichen Gltickwunsch dar 

die 

Ruperto-Carola Altheidelbergs. 

Was der hohe Sinn und die Aufopferung der Vater beg-riindet liaben, das haben die 
jiingeren Geschlechter sorgsam bewahrt und treulich ausgebaut. So ist die Universitat Princeton 
eine Hiiterin der Wissenschaft und ein Hort der Kultur jenseits des Oceans geworden. Moge 
sie noch lange bliihen und sich kraftig weiterentwickeln, fiir die Jugend eine Quelle edler 
Bildung, fiir den Staat eine Zierde, fiir die Mensclilieit ein Segen. Mit diesem Wunsche griisst 
die alteste Universitat Deutschlands die Universitat Princeton, mit ihr verbunden, obwohl durch 
den Ocean von ihr getrennt, durch die gleiche Liebe zui- Wissenschaft und die gleiche Arbeit 
an den hochsten Giitern des Geistes. 

Prorektor und Senat 

der Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg. 

D' H. B. BASSERMANN 

h. t.prorector 



275 



[university of jena] 



^i/^'n4^-€Ad-iii2,i (3d'n^. 



^^« /^/e ^^^^ (§A^^ ^4 ^'/Ad/'ie^ PRINCETON UNIVER- 
SITY <>,u4. c/e-e-'e^i -e/ed c/a-^ed^ <7^ ^/e-t^ d-t'-e 'U<i-t <fSO ^izAd.e-n -i-}^ </t-e 

■e-f^ J^-i^^iiC-'^-UiiH-ndc-n.& ■aud-i.ud^-ie-c-^ie'n.. 

■.d^^ 'ued.'Uid^-cc-ed^ rt-2^ (DfiQri^-t'te'de-M.uedt -t^-u 



J^eitd^eidddc-^cijl^i -edfii^^^, d^eA-nd.€■d^ d^x-td. -Uedi ■uxeiddddd'tedd. Cy^d^^i^e-. 






d-udd ed Mdtd -uddddd-a^^iG', 
(Qidd-Uzcutdd.^ -^^ ■edd-/dAde-c-/^edd. 

cJh^'^^/-e^ .^e.jLd/e d/c^^d &e/d^ 
7VN UNIVERSITY /^^e ^uducIZ-i 



Jed PRINCETON UNIVERSITY udtJ /^^t 

gA ■tiji€id^ ^eddod^'t'i.-cA -tze^d ^d-eud^-co^-C'ne 



eJi^i'(m.-a. ^<Z: 



edd €mf -cde. ^e/e-d-a.cidd'a.edd-= 
d-te diC'A. ^^d^ €t€e <^«^^ €iied 



Ae-t-t -udz-ci tzujf^ -ccte (Qdjfii'i^-e^ i/udcA -aCce- 

d^jt^cA-'-tt^'te^n ^dd^-^udd-aAd-liid-tedd €^ded (^etddttz/A -aed/ed^^ -^iz^. @^e 

■(^■e '^'^Uin.-n.dd/'C dAd^ic-^e-dt -tdd -c^d d^e-ad-udd-cce^edd cy^-a/ddiudz-a.^ -c^idd -tddde 
tidd^^e^ edAd-c^edd 'dd^-t-^ae -^m C/l/ud^ uddrz CT^do-dddddz-edd 
Vidd-edzdc^eidfZ iidd-c/ &/i.dk/u/}t-a.. ^add -cU^d-e li^nj^i^udd-a, 
■d/ 



.J^. 



J.§. C^..^^^ Jed (^^d^^-^eddOca. 



■ci^e 



■:-Z^/ Mc^e/. 



276 



[university of KIEL] 

RECTOR ET CONSISTORIVM 

VNIVERSITATIS KILIENSIS 

PRAESIDI CVRATORIBVS PROFESSORIBVS 

VNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS 

S 



QVAS ANTE HOS SEX MENSES AD NOS DEDISTIS LITTERAS HONESTISSIMAS 
ACCEPIMVS GRATO ET PROPENSO PERLEGIMVS ANIMO 

ETENIM SICVT APVD GRAECOS ANTIQVITVS EVM MOREM OBTINVISSE CONSTAT 
VT IN AMICORVM ET AFFINIVM POPVLORVM FESTIS SOLLEMNIBVS RITE CELEBRANDIS 
PER THEOROS OFFICIOSE DELECTOS SE REPRAESENTARI CVRARENT ITA VOS HVMA- 
NISSIME NOS INVITASTIS AD VNVM EX COLLEGIS NOSTRIS DELEGANDVM QVI SACRIS 
SESQVISAECVLARIBVS AB ACADEMIA VESTRA FELICITER INSTAVRANDIS NOMINE 
NOSTRAE VNIVERSITATIS INTERESSET 

VERVMTAMEN CVM FIERI NEQVEAT VT AD HANG HOSPITALEM INVITATIONEM 
PROMITTAMVS QVAE PER LEGATVM TRADERE NON LICET LITTERIS MANDANDA 
ESSE CONSTITVIMVS BONA VOTA PRO ACADEMIAE VESTRAE PROSPERITATE SALVTE 
DIVTVRNITATE 

CVM DECREVERITIS QVOD lAM PER TRIGINTA LVSTRORVM SPATIVM FLORVIT 
HVCVSQVE COLLEGIVM NEOCAESARIENSE AD VNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS DIG- 
NITATEM PROMOVERE FESTI QVI INSTANT DIES GRATIAE PIAEQVE RECORDATIONI 
PRAETERITORVM PARITER AC FVTVRORVM TEMPORVM LAETAE BONAEQVE SPEI 
SACRI ERVNT 

ITAQVE ACADEMIAE VESTRAE VT DE LONGA CVRSVS STRENVE ET EFFICACITER 
ABSOLVTI CONTINVITATE GRATVLAMVR ITA SIMVL SPERAMVS IPSAM ETIAM IN 
POSTERVM AC PER MVLTOS FELICESQVE ANNOS BONARVM ARTIVM LITTERARVM 
SCIENTIARVMQVE HVMANIORVM FVTVRAM ESSE SANCTAM SEDEM ET DOMICILIVM 
INCOLVME 

QVOD VT FELICITER EVENIAT FAVSTISSIMA QVAEQVE OPTAMVS PRECAMVRQVE 
VNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS RECENS NATAE ET DISCENTIBVS ET DOCENTIBVS 
VT IN QVOVIS ET DOCTRINAE ET HVMANITATIS GENERE HI EXEMPLO PRAEEVNTES 
AEMVLANTES ILLI MEMORES VTRIQVE VIRTVTIS MAIORVM ET ANTECESSORVM NVN- 
QVAM DESINATIS SERERE VT AIT STATIVS ARBORES QVAE ALTERI SAECVLO PROSIENT 

VALETE 

DABAMVS KILIAE ^—^ 

IDIBVS SEPTEMBRIBVS ( seal ) 

A. D. MDCCCLXXXXVI V3/ ^^- ^- POCHHAMMER 

STELl.VERTRETENDER RECTOR DER UNIVERSITAT KIEL 

277 



[university of konigsberg] 
QVOD • BONVM • FELIX • FAVSTVM • FORTVNATVMQVE • SIT 



INCLVTAE 

VSIVERSITATI • PRfflCETONENSI 

FAVSTISSMIS • AVSPICIIS 

ANTE • HOS • CENTVM • QVINQVAaiNTA • ANNOS 

CONDITAE 

DOCTORVM • ILLVSTRISSIMORVM • SPLENDIDIS • NOMINIBVS • AEQVE 
AC • DISCIPVLORVM • PRAESTANTISSIMORVM • STVDIIS • ASSIDVIS 

INSIGNITAE 

OMNIGENAE • HVMANITATIS • ALTRICI • MODERATRICI • PROPAGATRICI 
VNIVERSAE • AMERICAE • DECORI • ATQVE • ORNAMENTO 

SACRA SOLLEMNIA 

DIEBVS • XX • XXI • XXII • MENSIS • OCTOBRIS ■ ANNI • MDCCCLXXXXVI 

PIE • CELEBRANTI 

EX • ANIMI • SENTENTIA • GRATVLAMVR 

EIDEMQVE 

FORTVNAM • PROPITIAM 
SALVTEM • PERPETVAM 
GLORIAM • SEMPITERNAM 

OPTAMVS 

VNIVERSITATIS • ALBERTINAE • REGIMONTAME 

RECTOR • ET • SENATVS 
ET • PROFESSORES • OMNIVM ■ ORDINVM 



( SEAL ] 



278 



[university of LEIPZIG] 

PEAESIDI CUEATORIBUS PEOFESSORIBUS 

COLLEGII NE0CAE8ARIENSIS 

VIRIS ILLUSTEISSIMIS AC DOCTISSIMIS 

S. p. D. 

UNIVERSITATIS LIPSIENSIS RECTOR ET SENATUS 



Q^ 



\UONIAM LITTERIS PERHUMANITER AD UNIVERSITATEM NOSTRAM DATIS GRATUM 
VOBIS FORE SIGNIFICAVISTIS SI COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS ANTE HOS CENTUM ET 
QUINQUAGINTA ANNOS CONDITI JAM NOVIS AUSPICIIS IN UNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS 
PORMAM ET DIGNITATEM AMPLIFICANDI SOLLEMNITATI UNUM EX NOBIS QUI NOSTRO 
NOMINE INTERESSET DELIGEREMUS MISIMUS COLLEGAM NOSTRAM 

FRIDERICUM CAROLUM BRUGMANN 

LINGUARUM INDOGERMANICAKUM PROFESBOREM PUBLICUM ORDINARIUM 

EUMQUE lUSSIMUS VOTORUM NOSTRORUM PIENTISSIMORUM EXISTERE INTERPRETEM 

NAM INTEREST MAGNOPERE BONARUM OMNIUM UT SCIENTIAE LITTERARUMQUE 

STUDIA PER ORBEM TERRARUM QUAM MAXIME FLOREANT ATQUE VIGEANT 



( SEAL ) 



Db. Eenst Windisch 

V / h. t. Rector 



DATUM LIPSIAE DIE I MENSIS OCTOBRIS ANNO MDCCCLXXXXVI 



279 



[university of leyden] 

CoUegio i^eocaesarienst 

amibcmtatis Hugouno "Batatiae ^enatu? 

i*. ^. M. 

IJermagno nos affccistis l)onorc / quob nos intntastis / ut be noatro Senatu uno pluribusce 
Icgatis missis bobiscum cclcbrarcmiis fcrias / quas in cum biem iiaratis / tjni ©ollcgii bcstri 
nil talis crit ccntesimus tjuinquagcsimus / ibemquc primns a rjno illub om^iliore atque lionoratiore 

nomine uocabitnr. (fllua facultate a nobis oblatn lubentissime uteremnr / nisi granes nos 
retincrcnt causae / be quibns antea uos fcrimus cevtioves. (Ergo/ib quob utinam pracsenti- 
bus facerc liceret / l)isce all bos botis Uteris significare nolumus ex animi sententia oobiscum 
nos lactari. 

Permagna enim est Neocaesariensis €oiiegii apub boctos STIieoiogos proescrtim / gloria. 
Et ex ingenti eorum nnmero/qui illustri illiilXusarum scbi becori fucruitt et ornamento/ pan- 
cos nominemus: biget et l)ic et alibi terrarnm laus Jonatl)rtnis ©buiarbsii quern €altnnum 
^mericannm iure bicnnt; cuius/ licet per breue tantum tempus QToUegio Neocaesariensi prac- 
fuerit / Ijaub bubie a bobis pie colitur mcmovia ; mnlta quoque et l)onorate et Ijonorifice be 
i^obgiis/patrefilioqne/bequesingnlariacitmineJacobiill'€osliiipl)ilosopl)ipraebicaresolemus. 

Jta primum propter magna eius in bisciplinas merita (JloUeginm bestrnm et biligimus et 
ab miramur. 

Seb acccbunt aliae amoris caritatisque cansae l)anb Icuiores. 

eiiui enim bcstri (Hollegii iccerunt funbamenta / biri egrcgii fortesque, in mentcm nobis 
patrcs nostros reuocant / qui in mebia flamma belli abuersus pracpotcntcs crubclesque suscepti 
bominos ^cabemiam £ugbnno-!3ataoam tamqnam £ibertatis arcem conbiberunt. QHuorum 
hnx atque auspex ©uiliclmns illc Qlrantiacus / (Haciturni nomine darns /cum totius patriae tnm 
Uniuersitatis nostrae pater et bicitur et habetur. i^uins imago Senacnlum nostrum intran- 
tium oculos prima ah se conuertit: l)nnc enim abesse atque praeesse nostris uolumns belibero- 
lionibus. ^ quo prognatus ille ©uilielmus / qui simul l)arnm terrarnm praescs et Hex fuit 
JSrittannioe. (JHui in quanto apub bos sit l)onorc '!^ulac Nassouicae bedoratis nomine /quam 
tamquam acbcm £ibertatis cxstruMstis/in qua cac excolerentur befenbercnturquc birtutes/quae/ 
illo patrono/ JBrittanniac lactam plenamquc procstantissimorum bonorum attulcrunt libertatcm. 

Nos ergo bobis /si non sangnine at mente animoqne cognatos putamus / et pro bobis/ 
tamquam communis cuinsbam patriae cinibus / voia facimus / speramnsque fore ut Hniuersitas 
bestra / ex praeclaro illo nata Qlollegio Neocaesariensi /crescat floreatque /atque esse pergat/ 
ib quob collegium illub fuit semper : 

berae libertatis propugnarulum / sanctae religionis praesibium / lux bisciplinarum. 

£ngb. ©at. ah ?D.blM. m. ®ct'. iHUCCGrXCbl. 

©iHc^illanrg, %. dL. breebe, 

Scnatus glctuariua. 3a«tor|Elajntfixujei. 

280 



[ UNIVERSITY OF LILLE ] 

ACADEMIE DE LILLE 

CONSEIL DE l'UnIVERSITE 

Lille, le 23 Juillet, 1896. 

Monsieur le President: 

L'Universite de Lille a ete tres-touchee de rinvitation que 
vous lui avez adressee en vue des fetes par lesquelles vous allez 
celebrer le Sesquicentenaire de I'Universite de Princeton. Elle 
eut ete heureuse d'y envoyer un representant et n'en est em- 
pechee que par la distance si grande qui separe les deux villes. 
Du moins le Conseil de notre Universite a-t-il exprime le desir 
que je transmette a I'Universite de Princeton ses voeux les plus 
sinceres de prosperite. J'ai I'honneur d'etre aupres de vous 
I'interprete de ses sentiments, 
et je vous prie d'agreer, 

Monsieur le President, 

I'assurance de ma cordiale confraternite, 

Le President du Conseil de I'Universite, 
BAYET. 

Monsieur le President de I'Universite de Princeton. 



281 



[ UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ] 

ylud ULudttidalmld 

J^taedldi Gutatotihud Joxofeddotlbud 

GoIUqii lb eocaed attend id 

Gancellattiid yice-iDancellattud (^enatud 

Ihnivetaitattd Jo ondifitendid 

<-f. S. 3). 



^K^vnivKim noAt'tu^yn Etta it, uWi hoctlc>Alvni^ au^a-n^o oewtpe-t ^tuhio 
ci/uee> -ue^t'ti it^ eo <lia^o^ax>^■vin^t x\i ab on-vnii^-kH- <xztvu.vH ii^^zaiiu^'m i^^:tthia 
\><ii tnwuXox-^ ioco waiXi:> ottci^i- i>la cyuaeha-vM- oiaK'vwi<i ^^vvu-ttita poteat. 
9tec}ue ucto api4^ -oo^ -^uiba ca'coVc o&li'uio wovniwa ■vi'coz^u^yn xmi -tt^aniv 
0ccat^^t^v^ ^atvo -H-oto-rttvM-, c^ti-i ^yu^m^vna pz^^e-ntla, ■vn-UAxi^c<iwti<x y><x<i/n<i 
Ati^^aiH-lat^i, ojeot-toev au^x^ei^u-n^ ope^, hoct'ti'nawt pTo-m'0'uet^i444^, Ijoi^-ae i>pei- 
abti^^c^centifinH^ <\AA/x-\X\.vi-yn ^xAi^x-u-nX. '^ovi paTiJo iait'Wt. 'HOd aMzci^ 

cepto^i^-kM- be ovnyii i<i/CQ- et an^iavta-r-U'Wt ct to.c^vi'Ciox.UAW 'te'tn-141- boct-ti-na 
optvvHC rmziKozvvm^ tot bi;>clpw.^ori4^-H4 a>ci>tigii^ iiiox-uvn pi^o^pezo iM^cce^sti- 
iwar<ibi<i\xtiAxyn i<xvn<x ixtu^'Cx-aKu.vn^ n,unc ab ai4tplio^e:> i-n. -repufe-Cica 
-Citte'tai:^i4,44i- ^oin-crce* e^:>e €^<ictu^yn : ib at^ob pc^ ha'nc epi^tu^tam -ooSio 
eoc:plo'&atu-t4^ e^i)^ -uotvi^imu-^y. 

9^c ta'H4-ei4- iyUi2/c. tot 0144 ma -uo&ii> ^aticsta p'cucanVvuyn x>oc<i^ ipsi 
iac<la^y^■^A/:y^ cu^vn xn^t-o wo^\:> ^pectato 

^o^cp^o ^olvai4i4^e '^IvoHi^on, 

^jcie-H^tiae boctot^e cHeaiae Socletati^ i>ocio, 

nai-unu-^ 14-t id'cvio uec>tti2v <xhiuA:v\.zuiy ^o:iti^o ai4-oai^e wovniwn -uo^ ^a/Ci>et^e 
ii4-oeat, et -u-t coepta uoSte* ovj^iita bel-nccp^ fo'j^ti^i4^ct ^etic> 3ite 0ptit44i^i> 

0i^e^i4^ ot, c|4i^a Ci>ti^ ^-1^141 a-vtttate, ^Wxc^m acciptetkv, pez-<^x-aiu^vn 
no6i^ ^ecez^iti^. 

^^ o <v (BanceWa'^iii^. 

a'atu-nt- Lonbi-H-it 

9lom^ Octo&^i&t^ ^^^^i/ ^' ^^-^^^^ ^ 

"vice- C^a yicuviax^iu o . 
A. S. MDCCCXCVI. 

^, ylctot ^icklnd 

aC> aott^. 



[university of MOSCOW] 



Moscow, le 12 Octobre, 1896. 

Universite de Princeton, Princeton, New Jersey. 

L'Universite Imperiale de Moscow felicite cordiale- 
ment 1' Universite de Princeton sur le centcinquantieme 
anniversaire de son existence civilisatrice. Vivat Uni- 
versitas, vivant professores et studiosi. 



RECTEUR NEKRASSOFF. 



283 



[university of MUNICH] 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PROFESSORIBUS 
COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS 

VIRIS ORNATISSIMIS DOCTISSIMIS HUMANISSIMIS 

RECTOR ET SENATUS 

UNIVERSITATIS LUDOVICO-MAXIMILIANEAE MONACENSIS 
S. P. D. 




X litteris Vestris, quibus sacra sollemnia Collegii Neocaesariensis abhinc centum 
quinquaginta annos conditi mense Octobri huius anni concelebratum iri 
annuntiavistis, magnaru cepimus laetitiam. Cognovimus enim Vos plane idem 
ae nos sentire, omnes omnium gentium humanitate excultarum Universitates uno quodam 
societatis vinculo contineri ideoque, quidquid sive laeti sive adversi uni earum accident, 
id ceteras ad se quoque pertinere arbitrari. Nee fefellit Vos opinio, quam de nostra 
adversus Collegium Vestrum concepistis voluntate. Nam et ex animi sententia Vobis 
gratulamur, quod schola Vestra triginta lustra f elicissime peregit et nunc tanta auctoritate 
floret, ut opibus aucta mox ampliorem campum vario doctrinarum generi praebitura sit, 
et oflBcii ducimus dies festos, quos agetis, piis votis prosequi. Cui soUemnitati quod 
magno opere optastis ut unus e numero nostro delegatus intersit, gratias Vobis agimus 
maximas, sed vehementer dolemus, quod invitationi Vestrae benignae bospitalique satisfacere 
nemini nostrum per anni tempestatem ac muneris academici rationes concessum erit. 
Faxit autem Deus Optimus Maximus, ut quae trans Oceanum nova existet Universitas 
Princetoniensis laeta capiat incrementa, studiosae iuventuti saluti, rei publicae ornamento 
futura! Valete. 

Dabamus Monachii a. d. Kal. XII Maias anni MDCCCXCVI. 

284 



[university of oxford] 

S. !E. -3). 

auib<>tiarK no^i^ Ixicu-whiu^^ c3c)epol:e6t c^iA.anv lactiti^xe ue^l^'&ae pat^te-nt- cape:>i>e^c, c^ 
^ec>ti4.-M4- biei4^ vo^iiycu.'vn^ in^^tattz^azc^ c^wo ^'civwv^vn^ po^l; atvu^o^ CL f elicited eo^ac-tod, 

'^ivwi'cxA.m ^ae-tii> ai^5picii<5 |u.nbatoi:^^ 'UC^t^l to^^ aorvUtc an/ni^ (Bolfcgli 

u^nt^zacuta cotioca'ucvu.'nt : cj^tio i-n^ ;>eceiK>u oppot^tu-in^i^im-a STlt^^^iiy ^ebcd, i4o-ua 

acbt|'icio'^iH.i^tt- £ii&Ciot^cca'tiii4/i ^cnoiai>uyn <xcc<ii>t>ion<i ito^bic^ abai.i.cta, abco iw omni 
boct'ti'H'i, i^ -t^eoCoaia, iti- i>cicntia pni^Mca p^o^eclt ivt pCiii>auai^n \>iaiyi^tl (EoCCeaiid 

ali.i^'H4''M-o'r''Ui44' ^czie^vn iactaz^ Mz^vnip<iz cot^bi e^t, azaiu^iaiiovKi^ -uoGiiv avvii44o propci4:>ii»j5vi44^o 
praetcwbii4M4<>, <2Lcabci4i-iae uei>t'tae t<ivnip<iAtix>ayi^ 'pu-atuzitatn^m ac ixMxiWitcwi vlaozuvw t^Ctr.o 
ahynizayvicii. Qm-Si-i^ 6'p<izavyv'u:> u.\: wu^xixi^ ^xo-n bie^ op^:aSilc iwczdvmzvtliA.'nt ivlt abfai'i4^-u^. 
Q-ua p^optct -uo^u44-tati- -uc^^t^ae ii^cvUcz o^^xiouU xncazl'uvn bef e(jaa>l-n4-i^^ ojiti^-kH p-c^acdtavi-tevn 
^bva-tb-w-vM- ^ou-fi'oi^, ^ooioalac- XtoEe^^ot^ewt, Soolei'ati 9iegiae ab^jci^iptu^vM., vtt Ije-m-gno 
^oi>pvtio acceptw^ ^cvtu^nvn -uo^i^ ii4ape^tiat ipiiAzi-wtavn et ple-K 15.5 1-1^10444. 
eM^u-ic contiiei^i' abbibi/vi4Wi> cM^ati^^ 1 1440-144 'vizxA-vn (Stothvi^vuvH §>m'ith^ (Eolfegii "^-nii^. . . . 
apwb i40i> olvt4v Socii4.t44 el; S^^lstoziac STCobc'tnae fl^to^eev^o-tc-vM §'?eglu^i44, g4ici4i gi^ibei4t . . . 
vubicai44Ui> uo^i^ ^au^b m\nu:> yio^vw ei>i>e atcj-t^e a)44tci^4vt gttat4v ttoSiiv ip>iiy. 

^atui4t ii4^ ^onio i4o^tt^a (Boi4'Uocatioiti^ bie 

440140 114ei4C>iiy ^U.l4-vi A. S. MDCCCXCVI. 

[ SEAL I 



[the OWENS COLLEGE, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY] 

THE OWENS COLLEGE, 

Manchester, March 6, 1896. 
Sir: 

I had the honour, at the meeting of the Council of the Victoria 
University held yesterday, to lay before it the kind and gratifying 
invitation of the Princeton University Sesquicentennial Celebra- 
tion Committee, transmitted at your instance by His Excellency 
the Ambassador of the United States. 

The Council of the Victoria University requests me to thank 
the Committee for the honour which this invitation confers upon 
the Victoria University, and to assure the Committee of the in- 
terest here taken in the forthcoming jubilee of so celebrated and 
distinguished a seat of learning. The Council of the Victoria 
University has further requested me to appoint a representative 
of this University at the celebration, in accordance with the kind 
invitation of your Committee, should it prove the case that any 
member of our body the choice of whom would be acceptable to 
your Committee should be able to attend. Unfortunately, the 
latter part of October is one of the most busy seasons of our 
academical year. I will take care to transmit to you before long 
the name of a representative, should it be in my power ; and I 
beg you in any event to accept my assurance of the interest 
which will be here felt in the Sesquicentennial Celebration in 
which your Committee has so courteously invited a representa- 
tive of this University to take part. 

I remain, Sir, 

Your faithful servant, 

A. W. WARD, 
Vice- Chancellor of the Victoria University. 

To the Hon. Secretary, 

Princeton University Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee. 



286 



[university of PADUA ] 



Universitati Princetoniensi 
universitas patavina 

S. p. D. 




uos dies post exactum centesimum et quinquagesimum annum, ex quo 
Collegium Neocaesariense conditum est, Illustres Doctissimique Viri, 
novam UNIVERSITATEM PRINCETONIENSEM inaugurantes 
et festos habendos et rite concelebrandos iure optimo instituistis, nos, 
Patavinae Universitatis antistites, Vestrarum laudum memoriam recolentes laetis- 
simos agemus. 

Plurima quidem studiosorum hominum societatibus inter se communia sunt: 
aequi verique inquisitio, docendi discendique libertas, voluntatum consiliorumque 
consensio, clarorum liberaliumque virorum memoria. Itaque haec Universitas, quae 
diutinae aut ab externa dominatione vix interceptae aut demum recuperatae liberta- 
tis iura constantissime exsequuta suo munere functa est, maximo opere laetatur in ea 
orbis terrarum parte, quae ab Italiae alumno Christophoro Colombo divinitus detecta 
hominibusque monstrata est, insignem studiorum Sedem exstitisse, in qua, libertatis 
firmo praesidio, vera exquirantur mentesque iuvenum disciplinis optimis erudiantur. 

Quodetsi, tanto maris spatio interiecto, eo anni tempore, quo praeteriti studiorum 
cursus finis cum novi initio congruit, aliquis ex nobis vicarius delegari non potest, qui 
gratulationes nostras votaque praesens Vobis exhibeat, tamen, quum nullis propemo- 
dum finibus humani animi sensus circumscripti sint, date nobis, Praestantissimi Viri, 
vt festis iis diebus in mentibus Vestris illud insideat, nos et absentes summae laetitiae 
Vestrae ex animo interfuturos esse. 

Hae vero litterae nostra referant vota certioresque Vos faciant exoptare nos, ut 
nova UNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS apud validissimas gentes, quae ex 
Europa in longinquae telluris sinum sua actae virtute iamdiu civilibus artibus omni- 
umque rerum investigationi se dediderint, celeberrimarum Universitatum gloriam 
adsequatur insignique aemulatione earum rerum cognitionem augeat, quae decori 
usuique hominibus sint, quibusque eorum animi artius inter se vinciantur. 

Patavii, d. XX Octobris, A. MDCCCXCVI. 

EX SENATUS ACADEMICI AUCTORITATE 

KAROLUS F. FERRARIS, 

RECTOR MAGNIFICUS. 

287 



[ UNIVERSITY OF PARIS ] 

( SEAL J 

A MONSIEUR LE RECTEUR 
A MESSIEURS LES CURATEURS ET PROFESSEURS 

DE 

L'UNIVERSITE DE PRINCETON 

Messieurs, 

'Universite de Princeton a pris place parmi les 
grandes universites americaines, qui savent, tout en 
demeurant fideles a leurs traditions, satisfaire aux 
exigences nouvelles de la science et accomplir 
des progres chaque jour. Elle travaille en toute llberte, regie par 
elle-meme ; elle doit a la sagesse de son Conseil, au zele et a la 
generosite de ses maitres, de ses disciples et de ses amis I'admi- 
rable developpement de ces dernieres annees. Elle est aujourd'hui 
une ecole de science universelle. 

En un siecle et demi, vous avez fait une oeuvre, qui, par- 
tout ailleurs, aurait demande plusieurs siecles. Et votre avenir ne 
peut manquer d'etre heureux et brillant. Les Etats-Unis d'Ame- 
rique reussissent dans tout ce qu'ils entreprennent. Apres avoir 
cree un peuple avec des elements divers ; apres avoir concilie, dans 




leurs institutions et leurs moeurs la democratie avec la liberte, 
I'autonomie des Etats, des Communes, des Corps et des individus 
avec I'unite nationale ; apres avoir acquis, par I'effort de tant d'ac- 
tivites energiques, une eclatante prosperite materielle, ils entrent 
en concurrence avec I'Europe dans le domaine tout entier: theolo- 
gie, philosophie, philologie, science, histoire, esthetique. C'est pour 
nous un sujet particuHer d'admiration de voir la jeune Amerique 
s'appliquer si heureusement a I'etude des premieres civilisations du 
vieux continent. Deja on pent se demander s'il ne viendra pas un 
jour ou I'etudiant europeen traversera I'Atlantique pour trouver 
reunis en abondance les moyens d'etudier la Grece et Rome, qui 
furent les institutrices de I'Europe. 

Messieurs, cette activite intellectuelle est une dignite, c'est 
aussi une force de plus pour votre pays. Voici que les representants 
des corps scientifiques du monde entier sont venus apporter leur 
hommage a la science americaine en la personne de votre Universite. 
Mais laissez-nous vous dire que nous avons des raisons speciales 
de nous rejouir des honneurs qui vous sont rendus. Vous avez bien 
voulu rappeler, dans I'invitation adresse a I'Universite de Paris, 
qu'elle est Valma mater des universites du monde ; et d'autre part 
nous nous souvenons que nos peres eurent I'honneur d'aider les 
votres a fonder votre grande Republique. Aucun des souvenirs 
de notre long passe ne nous semble plus glorieux et ne nous est 
plus cher. 

Le Recteur de /' Universite de Paris, 

GREARD. 

Le Secretaire du Conseil de V Universite, 

Pfr. ERNEST LAVISSE. 



289 



[university of PRAGUE] 

cJlDectot et (^enatud 
Ihnwetdltatid hazolo-cfetdlnandeae yetmantcae 
Ihnlve'Cditatid J^tlncetonlendid 
Jjtaedidi Giitatotibad Jstofeddozibiid 



Jbaetiddimid anlmiA, 'Viti iUudtzed, littezad 'Vedtzad acceplmud, qutbud ad 
doUemnia daeculatta Ihnwezditatid ^zincetoniendid 'VobUcum celebzanda 
invltabamut, 

iBatn quo daepiud fit, tit vttt docti ex uttitnid ozbtd tezzazum tegioni- 
biid congzeatantuz dtuaiozumque fzuctud tntez de communicent, eo tnagtd 
kodped koApitem dtligtt, dlngulazed ejud vtztuted adm'izatuz et didczimlna 
ea pazvi habenda edde intellegit, qutbud gentcd kutnanae ducenttbud fatid 
depazantuz, 

So maj'oze autetn gaudio nantiuA 'Vestez gzatidAitnuA nod affeclt, 
quod pzobe dciebamud eod, qui (^cademiatn ^zincetoniendem faudttd omi- 
ntbuA condidezunt, fuidde intez ptimod, qui antiquiddiniazum littezazum 
demina ttand uceanum dpazgezent zeconditiozidque doctzinae cultutn tn vtr- 
gine, ut ajunt, tezza pzopagazent. 

^uam ob zem libentez, di fiezi potuiddet, mididdemud aliquem ex ozdine 
dcnatozum collegii nodtzi, qui a, d. XL S^al, lljov, zevocata oziginum cele- 
bezzimae (S^cademiae 'Vedtzae memozia dedidezatiddimozum udud amtcozum 
kodpttto 'Vobtdcum Laetazetuz, 

Sed quoniam nemo inventud edt in <^enatu '^ni\>ezditatid nodtzae, 
qui diutuzno et inopinato ttinezi faciendo vacazet, kid littezid 'Vobid pro 
officiid 'Vedtzid ultzo oblatid gzatiad agimud, ac nod, cum illuxezit died dol- 
Lemnid, non minud quam di adeddemud, 'Vedtii memozed foze pollicemuz, 

valete, vizi illudtzed, et eadem via, quam deceddozed 'Vedtzi ante kod 
centum et quinquaginta annod bonid avibud ingzeddi dunt, felicitez foztunate- 
que pezgite, 

S)abamud Szagae Sd. ^ul, MDCCCLXXXXyi. 



ah. ahuppezt, 

h. t. %nlv. Qerm. diiectoz. 



290 



[queen's college, BELFAST] 



The President and Council of Queen's College, Belfast, have received 
with feelings of deep interest and sincere pleasure the communication 
addressed to them by the President, Trustees and Professors of the Col- 
lege of New Jersey informing them of the intended Sesquicentennial 
commemoration of the foundation of the College and of the ceremonies by 
which the inauguration of Princeton University is to be celebrated. 

They regret much that it has been found impossible to delegate one of 
their number to represent this College on so important and memorable an 
occasion, the commencement of their own winter session at the same date 
calling for the presence of all the members of their academic body in Bel- 
fast. But, though they shall thus reluctantly be unrepresented, they none 
the less heartily join in the congratulations and good wishes with which 
the time-honoured College and the new University will be greeted. 

Queen's College, Belfast, is specially and intimately connected with 
Princeton by the fact that the late President of the College of New Jersey, 
whose name and distinguished services to it can never be forgotten, the 
venerable Reverend James McCosh, D. D., LL. D., may be said to have 
been a gift from Belfast, where he commenced his professional career and 
where his memory will long be cherished, and by this circumstance also 
that one of the present professors at Princeton, who occupies there a posi- 
tion of honour and usefulness, the Reverend George Macloskie, M. A., D. Sc, 
is an alumnus of this College, where he first exhibited that remarkable 
aptitude for the study of Natural History which he has since pursued 
with so much honour to himself and such advantage to the cause of 
science. 

Princeton University may be assured that the sincerest interest is taken 
in its welfare by this College, where the confident hope is cherished that 
the proceedings at the Sesquicentennial celebrations may be happy and 
successful, and that the honourable history and traditions of the College 
of New Jersey may be continued and perpetuated in the new institution 
now to be inaugurated. 

J. HAMILTON, President. 
Queen's College, I. PUXSER, Registrar. 

Belfast, June, 1896. 



291 



[university of ROME] 



■ P 

I I 

> ^ 



5^ 



^ 




[ UNIVERSITY OF ROSTOCK ] 



Das Concilium der Universitat Rostock hat mit lebhafter Theil- 
nahme die freundliche Einladung zu der vom 20. bis 22, October 
dieses Jahres stattfindenden Feier der 1 50*? Wiederkehrdes Stiftungs- 
tages der Universitat zu Princeton empfangen. In vollkommener 
WiJrdigung der hohen Verdienste derselben um die Beforderung und 
Entwickelung der Wissenschaften hatte es gerne durch ein Mitglied 
seines Kreises personlich die Beziehungen zum Ausdruck gebracht, 
die naturgemass zwischen zwei denselben hohen Zielen dienenden 
Anstalten bestehen. Indess, die weite Entfernung liess die Entsend- 
ung eines Deputirten unthunlich erscheinen und so beehrt sich das 
Concilium der Universitat Rostock der Princeton-University auf 
diesem Wege zu dem bedeutungsvollen Tage seine aufrichtigsten 
Gliickwiinsche darzubringen. Moge der wissenschaftliche Geist, der 
die Angehorigen der Princeton-University beseelt, nie aufhoren sich 
zum Ruhme der Union und des engeren Heimathstaates, so wirk- 
ungsvoll wie bisher zu bethatigen. Von Herzen wiinscht das Con- 
cilium der Universitat Rostock, dafs die heute so glanzvoll dastehende 
Princeton-University, getragen von dem opferfreudigen Sinne hoch- 
herziger amerikanischer Patrioten,in den nachsten Jahrzehnten sich zu 
immer schonerer Bliithe entfalten und dass die eifrige Wirksamkeit 
ihrer gelehrten Docenten nach wie vor der freien Wissenschaft zum 
Wohle und Heile gereichen moge. 

Rostock, den 30. September 1896. 

Der Rector der Landesuniversitat 

DR. WILHELM STIEDA. 



[the royal PRUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES] 

COLLEGIO NEOCAESARIENSI 

ARTIUM LIBERALIUM IN ORBE NOVO ANTIQUAE SEDI 

RELIGIONIS SINCERAE INCONCUSSO FUNDAMENTO 

UBI NATURAE HUMANITATISQVE STUDIA PARI ARDORE 

CULTA FLORUERUNT OLIM ET NUNC FLORENT 

ACTOS FELICITER CL ANNOS GRATULANS 

LUDOSQVE SAECULARES M. OCT. MDCCCXCVI INSTANTES 

OPTIMIS OMINIBUS PROSEQVENS 

UT NOMINE AC MOMINE AUCTA 

UNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS 

AVITAE LAUDIS MEMOR IN DIES MAGIS 

INTER UTRIUSQVE MUNDI SORORES EMINEAT 

AMICIS VOTIS EXPETIT 

ACADEMIA REGIA BORUSSICA 
SCIENTIARUM 

DATUM BEROLINI NON. lULIIS MDCCCXCVI 



[ THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON ] 

to call to yniyio t^\<i ^^cvnu iza^t<iznat ^ntcitiow^ i4jmcH, vcowi 
De^i^ <iciztu |;t44i.eo>, it ^ac> '^a^ voitU. -t^e bii>^^i'Haiiii>^e^ -vnen 
vo^o ott ^:lvc othcz ^ib<i o| ^:fte Qittcivitic ha-vo^ beuol'eb th^vc 
C4i,e'tai<jo -to l>Fve <xh\>avio^wi<iyit ol '^KatAA.'cai ^{^^o^A^i<lha^^ \>o 
p-tcvHotc vonicfi -tlve Socic-t-u -vua^ -potiM.oeb. elt nai> 
'vua^:cl^eb with \A\tQ/c<i^t tho^ <i:>taMi:>hi^ncvit awb <:xzovoth o^ 
ini5'l>lWtioi4i> ii4 d^m-e^ica liai>m(^ -fct^ th<ii't o^j<ict th<i 
hi<^c<yv<izu cin^b <ypz<icib- ol tt-uth. <SLi4i^oi4o tfici^c t^e 

tltti\)ersttj of Princeton ju5% ^o-eb^^ a %^ -p^ace, 

aMo tm- ^iz^ibni^t anb ^<ittovo<:> ol -t-l^e Sioual Socle-tu 
ho^vt/Q^ to ^enb l^o i^^a^; ^^vi\^<i/ti^itu th<iiz wo/cm^/i^^ a.z<i<it- 
iw<^ ovi th<i aut^tyiciou^ occasion ol H:i> i^ei>auicc utetii^tiaf 
cO't^z.^atio-n^ a^b th<iA/v ^<i^ voi:>^:y ^x^ it^ contin^iA^cb pzo^- 

pCt4^ it! -t^ -tmO^ 'to CO'WKl. 



n 



[university of saint ANDREWS] 

^u^nx'vwci cum laube dco/bevniac "oo^tzan pi^ac- 

CliXX'Oe^l^ia/e i-n. ovnvKi acvum oi4i/Kia ^au^tn 
ic>Z'OCyv><it<icniz eucniai^l'. 

a. ^. IV. ^Co/C. Oct /"^ 

I SEAL J 



[university of saint PETERSBURG] 

UNIVEESITATIS CAESAREAE PETP.OPOLITANAE 

SENATUS 

COLLEGII HUCUSQUE iXEOCAESARIEISIS 

MOX 

UNIVERSITATIS PRINCETONIENSIS 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PR0FES80RIBUS 

S. p. D. 

Quod illustrissimi Studii vestvi, viri clarissimi et doctissimi, 
origiues pie recolentes simulque puleherrimi illius, quod per omnes 
terras vagatur, litterarum scieutiarumque commercii baud immemo- 
res nos quoque votis pro novella Universitate rite suscipiendis prae- 
sentes esse voluistis, grato vobis laetoque animo referimus acceptum. 
Quo magis dolendum arbitramur, quod in diversissima regione babi- 
tantes totoque paene orbe a vobis divisa neminem boc anni tempore 
invenimus, qui huius gratitudinis nostrae comis fidusque existere 
posset interpres, ut ad bas mutas decurrendum sit litteras, ne in com- 
muni gratulatione nostrae erga vos voluntatis testificatio desideretur. 
Cupimus igitur simulque confidimus ad tanta doctrinae et laudis 
incrementa reservari quam bodie inauguraturi estis 

UNIVERSITATEM PRINCETONIENSEM 

ut — scimus quiddicamus — gloriosissima ista Republica quovis pacto 
digna fiat; confidimus autem, quia is semper fuit civibus vestris 
animus, ut strenue audendum, ea prudentia, ut soUerter elaborandum, 
ea denique constantia, ut non ante successum coeptis desistendum 
existimarent. 

Dabimus Petropoli die 25 Septembris anni MDCCCXCVI. 



( SEAL I 



Universitatis Caesareae Petropolitanae Rector P. NiKlTIN. 

Ordinis historicorum et philologorum Decanus I. POMJALOVSKIJ. 

Ordinis physicorum et mathematicorum Decanus A. SOVETOV. 

Pro Decano ordinis iureconsnltorum BaSILIUS Lebedev. 

Ordinis linguas orientales professorum Decanus VICTOR LIBER BARO A RoSEN. 



[university of SALAMANCA] 



Hector 



cam m cenHMmo 
^acian4 



(sMaawiii d WodoUb' htuvbi ^Imae e4 hemnii^uae ^cademiae ffaimanilnae,, ^laeUdi (£u'ia4o'ii= 
hub, cae46lUque emdem 0%dinh &odalil)M ^olle^ii ^eccaeiaueuM, ^lince4oniae : &aiu4ttn in 
Wno (manfiklvblimam dicun4. 

SBi44e'iat, awai ex ToliiA, ^mjiliMimi %u, die icUice4 hedemo accehimM, acmia4e h/oojedo e4 
condnne dekic4ae, novii). Iieiaia4ae e4'iniium in modumjumndae accidele, eo quod, cum dt 
quinqua^eiimo ^eocacMlienUi ^olle^ii ^a4alihio vedia haud duUa ei^a no^ henmolevdia ji 
celiiolei- ; 4mn e4iam quod, de ejuidem ^oUeaii in "%niv-em4a4em iPiimce4onienwni ' commu4a= 
4ione e4 inau^ma4ione jaudum ev-en4um noUi 'ienun4ien4- — ^uae quidem nuncia no{jiime4iliiii' 
e4 ^ide e4 dudii:^ com,muml>ui, voLii- coniundimmiA m,aximam Iae4i4iam a44uieie a4que deUc4a= 
4ion€m,. 

^umula4iMimM i(^i4u'i fohib,, Tiii heuUuA4ie^, e4 de li44em Unem,eii4i, iefiendimm a'va4ei> jfiloMe'i 
jh'vaecijma'm in nodiam "^imam <diaj4ieyn cheivan4iam.- e4 4an4o iKiecuiaii ^edo ojdima 
quaeqm a Weo €. (di. exoian4ei, voUb^ de ^diuiy "'"UnimeiAviaiut. ^iincdonienm' ^ indi4u4ione e4 
inau^u>ia4ione kernel e4 i4emm. ex in4el,no ienm aia4ulamul. 

^onnuUoi' uveia ex nodlo ^cadewMO oidine leaa4oi ad vo^ hediUn4el mi44eltmuA, qui e4 
ovia4o uieieniwi hoifii4ic e4una vol)iicum, fio4iAiima jlueien4m iae4i4ia; velumenimveio, u, in 4an4a 
Ulum iniqm4a4e in qua ^i:^jiania(, nunc 4emko^Uy veiian4u\,, kaec nodla dciiideua, iicu4 eM€4 in vo4ii> 
jif/oi ac Ii6l,jici neqiiean4, 4o4a nihiiominu;> To^, Aiaedan4ii>Mmi viii, comi4aUmM 7nen4e, Wemnque 
jwecmimwo u4 v-ediae ^Cuiae itolemnei. bene e4 jelici4e% ev-enian4 €4 Audm in hodemm ex iicien4ia= 
ium a^lo quern, novii viiiifm nunc coleie coekidii>, Un4 jlo>ien4e^, wn4 uUilimi, ^in4 lea4i. 

§Ja4um &alman4icm: ^jiud %niveld4a4em : ^oni& (diaii, ^nni Wni MDCCCXCVI. 

^n Woc4o'ium, ^Ma^idiommque nomine 

^ — @Piaebei 



f SEAL j (dlamei. ^^ke,%al>e 

%jano 



^-^ ^c 



[university of strassburg] 

Kaiser- Wilhelms-Universitat, 

Strassburg, den 3. August 1896. 

Im Namen des akademischen Senates unserer Hochschule 
spreche ich Ihrer Universitat zur Feier ihres I50jahrigen 
Bestehens unsere herzlichsten Gliickwiinsche aus. Ich ver- 
binde damit unseren besten Dank fiir die freundliche Ein- 
ladung, die Sie an uns ergehen liessen, und den Ausdruck 
unseres Bedauerns, von der Entsendung eines Vertreters zu 
Ihrem Jubilaum Abstand nehmen zu miissen. Da die Zeit 
Ihres Festes gerade mit dem Beginn des Wintersemesters 
zusammenfallt, ist es leider keinem MitgHede des Lehr- 
korpers unserer Universitat moglich, eine Reise auf so 
weite Entfernung zu unternehmen. 

Der Rektor der Universitat, 

LENEL. 



[university of TUBINGEN] 



Akademische Senat 



Koniglich Wiirttembergischen Universitat 

TiBIIGEI 

an 



T 



-c/p^- 



■ti^-T^d- 1^-^^-^ 



3-7-7^^ ^^^■Ct'lt't''yyi' ^^. (^/^i&^lt^t^l 



/ / // ■ / v/r^-V- My/ 

f^9/ ^/" / / / y / ■ ■ (r^ / 






y-i-t-t'dt^ '-i-t'-7^d-e'l€' ■n--t^^-l-t^'^ 









[university of upsala] 

PRAESIDI CURATORIBUS PEOFESSORIBUS 

COLLEGII NEOCAESARIENSIS 

S. p. D. 
RECTOR ET SENATUS 

UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS 

Per litteras humanitatis plenas nuper certiores nos fecistis, Viri illus- 
trissimi et doctissimi, in eo esse, ut festi a Vobis dies celebrentur, quibus 
memoriam Collegii Neoeaesariensis abhinc CL annos conditi pie recolatis 
iidemque Universitatem Princetoniensem rite inauguretis. Quod ut 
magno cum gaudio nostro coguovimus, ita non potuit non gratissimum 
esse, quod unum aliquem ex nostro numero legatum mitti voluistis, qui 
Vestro usus bospitio Vobiscum festo illo tempore laetaretur. Cui invita- 
tioni tam liberali atque tam bonorificae quominus obsequamur cum regi- 
onum longinquitate officiorumque nostrorum ratione probibeamur, nobis 
liceat boc uno quo possumus modo Vobis Vestraeque Universitati et 
peracti temporis prosperitatem congratulari et in posterum laetissima et 
optima quaeque precari. Vivat, vigeat, incrementa capiat Universitas 
Princetoniensis ! Docentium laude, frequentia discentium semper fioreat ! 
Praeclara ilia artium optimarum studia foveat, augeat, exornet ! 

Valete nobisque f avete ! 

Dabamus Upsaliae mense Septembri a, MDCCCLXXXXVI 

Senatus academici nomine 

TH. M. FRIES, 
Rector. 



301 



[university of UTRECHT] 



Ipraestbi Curatoribus professoribus 
•aniversitatis princetoniensfs 



3). % S. 



IRector /IDagnfficus et Senatus 
mniversitatfs "Qltrafectinae 

raeti uestra laetitia, xairi Hmpltssimf, Ifbenter accepimus 
instate Mem, quo uestrl (I®XX]E(31I1I, quot) fuit oltm, 
l^lRUDBIRSIFXtHZtHS, quae moj futura est, spatio sesqul* 
k saeculari elapso, Mem annfuersarium soUemniore 
^^ soltto sitis celebraturi ritu. 
Ibunc faustisslmum euentum uobis impense gratulamur, nee non 
sinceris prosequimur uotis pro uestrae XHniuersitatis in annis et 
saeculis, quae t^einceps sunt insecutura, felicitate. (SlM DIFXTH/ID 
/ID©1RUD1IS IRBBDHU, HXXB nobis uestrisque stut)iis taueat pros* 
peramque fortunam in^ulgeat. 

Collegam nostrum Hmbrosium Hrnolbum (Builielmum Ibubrecbt 
It). C. quem bonoris causa soUemnitatibus, quas obituri estis, cele* 
bran&is a&bibuistis rogauimus ut uestri gaubit testis ocularis 
coram apub vos barum litterarum gratulationem et bona uota sua 
confirmet oratione. 

IDalete 

2)atum Hhlttatectt metidid ^uli 

die XXyp (Sg. 2). MDCCCLXXXXn TRectot ^aflttlficus 

/ID. Ub. Iboutsma (\^^ 

Senatus Sctuarius V~l-/ 

3. &e Xouter. 



FROM OTHER COUNTRIES 



[university of MELBOURNE] 



The University of Melbourne, 

1 2th May, 1896. 

Sir: 

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the 
document dated ist January, 1896, in which is conveyed 
an invitation to the University of Melbourne to attend 
at the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the foun- 
dation of the University of New Jersey, U. S. A. 

In reply, I am directed to inform you that the Council 
of this University, at its meeting held yesterday, passed 
the following resolution : 

'* That the University of New Jersey be thanked for 
" the honour it has done the University of Melbourne in 
" asking it to appoint a delegate to attend at the celebra- 
"tion of such an important and interesting event; and 
"the University of New Jersey be informed that the 
" University of Melbourne will gladly avail itself of the 
" invitation, if it be possible to make arrangements for 
" so doing." 

I have the honour to be, Sir, 

Your obedient Servant, 

E. F. A BECKETT, 

Registrar. 
To the Secretary of the 

Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration. 



305 



[SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE] 



SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE, 
BEIRTTT, SYKIA. 



^ke cFaciiitij of the ^ifctan J^totedtant Golle^e ( Ibi-dVoedtedat 
ul-c7ou I Ill/at iLd-&iitiijat ui-Q^ageiiyat) acknowledge u>ttk 
tkankd tke couttedij of tke Jotedldetit, Otiidteed and cfacaltij 
of tke (jollege of luew /je^dey in extending to tkem an in- 
vitation, iateiij received tktougk tke Ihnited Stated Joegation 
at Gondtantinople, to be teptedented at tke (^edcjuicentennial 
(d elebtation to be keld in Jjtinceton in Uctobet next, cJt 
gived tkem muck pieadute to be able to accept tke invitation, 
witk tke appointment of cJoev, Daniel colidd, ^, Jj ,, J^x-edi- 
dent of tke iDollege, ad tkeit teptedentative, 

cJn bekalf of tke <y acuity of tke (^ytian Jj^totedtant 
(Doilege, 

giobezt m. 'iVeAt, 

Seczetazy. 



i^giBi 



[ Translation. ] 

President Francis L. Patton, 
Princeton University, 

United States of America. 

Dear Sir; 

I have the honor to tender you my hearty thanks for your courtesy 
in extending to me the invitation to the celebration of the one hundred 
and fiftieth anniversary of the College of New Jersey and inauguration 
of the said College as Princeton University, to be held for three days, 
from October 20 to 22 of the present year. 

The prosperity or dechne of a country depends, to a very large ex- 
tent, upon the state of education in that country. Though there may 
be many causes which have brought about the present prosperity of the 
United States in agriculture, industry and commerce, it is mainly due, 
I would say, to the development and progress of science and arts re- 
sulting from the excellent system of education in your country, and 
I believe the success of your College in educating so many men since 
its foundation must have contributed to the national welfare in no 
small degree. 

You are now about to expand your scheme of instruction at the time 
when you celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the 
College. It is a matter of great congratulation for your country as 
well as science and arts themselves, for it will help further enhghten- 
ment of your country in a greater degree. 

I only regret that circumstances do not allow me to send out any 
representative from this University and to let him attend personally 
the most auspicious celebration. I write this, however, in order to 
present you the congratulations with my sincere hope for the prosperity 
and success of the Princeton University. 

I have the honor to be. 
Dear Sir, 

Yours very respectfully, 

Arata Hamao, 
President, Imperial University. 

ToKio, September 30, 1896. 



Facsimile of the Congratulatory Letter 
of the University of Tokio. 



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.yJiaiavinJI, Ifihaqml ,Jn'jI 



[ Translation, ] 

President Francis L. Patton, 
Princeton University, 

United States of America. 

Dear Sir ; 

I have the honor to tender you my hearty thanks for your courtesy 
in extending to me the invitation to the celebration of the one hundred 
and fiftieth anniversary of the College of New Jersey and inauguration 
of the said College as Princeton University, to be held for three days, 
from October 20 to 22 of the present year. 

The prosperity or dechne of a country depends, to a very large ex- 
tent, upon the state of education in that country. Though there may 
be many causes which have brought about the present prosperity of the 
United States in agriculture, industry and commerce, it is mainly due, 
I would say, to the development and progress of science and arts re- 
sulting from the excellent system of education in your country, and 
I believe the success of your College in educating so many men since 
its foundation must have contributed to the national welfare in no 
small degree. 

You are now about to expand your scheme of instruction at the time 
when you celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the 
College. It is a matter of great congratulation for your country as 
well as science and arts themselves, for it will help further enhghten- 
ment of your country in a greater degree. 

I only regret that circumstances do not allow me to send out any 
representative from this University and to let him attend personally 
the most auspicious celebration. I write this, however, in order to 
present you the congratulations with my sincere hope for the prosperity 
and success of the Princeton University. 

I have the honor to be. 
Dear Sir, 

Yours very respectfully, 

Arata Hamao, 
President, Imperial University. 

ToKio, September 30, 1896. 



Facsimile of the Congratulatory Letter 
of the University of Tokio. 







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CONGRATULATORY ADDRESSES, 

LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS 

RECEIVED FROM 

ASSOCIATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS 



[ ALLIANCE OF REFORMED CHURCHES HOLDING THE PRESBYTERIAN SYSTEM ] 

Philadelphia, Pa., October 19, 1896. 
To THE Trustees of Princeton University, Greeting : 

The American Section of the "Alliance of the Reformed Churches through- 
out the World holding the Presbyterian System," through its officers, tenders 
to you cordial congratulations upon the Sesquicentennial of the justly cele- 
brated institution of learning whose interests are in your charge. Presby- 
terians have cherished a deep affection for the "College of New Jersey" 
through the one hundred and fifty years which have elapsed since it was first 
established — an interest natural in view of the history of the Institution. The 
majority of its founders were Presbyterians ; its first classes assembled in the 
home of a Presbyterian pastor, who was the first president ; and the support 
of the Presbyterian General Synod resulted in the erection of Nassau Hall, the 
first of the collegiate buildings. From the initial years onward, the interest of 
Presbyterians in the Institution has been made increasingly manifest by gener- 
ous gifts ; and none have rejoiced more than they in the ever-enlarging body 
of students ; in the notable men who have occupied in the College positions of 
trust and learning; and especially in the eminent persons filling from time to 
time the Presidency of the Institution. 

It is, further, a cause of rejoicing that the liberal spirit and scholarly temper 
of the Presbyterian Churches made the College from the beginning an institu- 
tion free to all worthy persons, and gave it an impetus to sound thinking and 
high scholarship which has been steadily maintained by its officers and faculty 
through all the years of its life. Established in the interests of true religion 
as well as of learning, it has been a source also of great spiritual profit to 
the Presbyterian and other Christian Churches, through the numerous ministers 
whom it has educated, and who have loyally served in their day and genera- 
tion our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Gladly, therefore, do we tender to you our thanks for the services rendered 
by the College to the Churches of Christ during a century and a half; greatly 
do we rejoice in the prosperity which God has bestowed upon it ; earnestly do 
we hope, now that it has become a university, for an ever-increasing influence 
on its part in the maintenance both of true religion and sound learning ; and 
cordially do we invoke upon all its interests grace, mercy and peace from God 
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 

In behalf of the Alliance, 

WM. CAVEN, Chairman, 

WM. HENRY ROBERTS, Secretary,. 

GEO. JUNKIN, Treasurer. 

309 



[lord KELVIN, PROFESSOR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW] 

\Telegran{\ 



Glasgow, Oct. 21, 1896. 

President, Princeton University, 
New Jersey. 

I heartily congratulate the College and University of 
Princeton on the celebration of the 150 years of its be- 
neficent life upon which we look back, and on the new 
developments now organized for continuance of good 
work with ever increasing energy in the future. I regret 
exceedingly that my University engagements in Glas- 
gow make it impossible for me to be present at Prince- 
ton on this occasion, and I ask the University and its 
friends now assembled to accept this telegraphic expres- 
sion of my cordial sympathy and good wishes. 

KELVIN. 



[OHIO SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS] 



Society of Colonial Wars, 

IN THE STATE OF OHIO. 



Cincinnati, O., Oct. 20, ig 



The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of 
Ohio extends to the College of New Jersey its hearty 
congratulations on the completion of a century and a 
half of corporate existence. 

The history of Princeton, linking us with the early 
struggles of the Colonial Epoch, the grand formative 
period of our nation, forms a brilliant chapter in the 
annals of the Republic. May her career in the future 
exemplify, as in the past, the highest type of American 
scholarship ! 



Signed on behalf of the Society, 
SAMUEL J. HUNT, 

Governor. 



Attest : 
A. H. PUGH, 

Dep. Secretary. 



311 



[president DWIGHT of YALE UNIVERSITY] 



Munich, Germany, 

September 30, 1896. 

My dear President Patton : 

I write you a few lines this evening to express to you what I 
have already expressed to Professor West as your representative — my 
regrets at my necessary absence from the exercises of your celebration 
at Princeton on occasion of your Sesquicentennial Anniversary. The 
Corporation of our University extended my vacation so far as to cover not 
only the usual summer recess, but also the autumn term; and as my family 
were desirous of coming abroad, and it was desirable for them to do so at 
this time, it was a matter of importance for me to be with them. 

Professor Fisher will, at the request of our Corporation, act as official 
representative and delegate from Yale ; and other professors, as Professors 
Lounsbury, Ladd and Gibbs, will also be present and bear witness of the 
kindly sentiments of Yale towards Princeton. 

Your anniversary will be a memorable one in the history of your insti- 
tution ; and as it passes from the old historic College of New Jersey into 
the Princeton University of the future, the institution will take to itself new 
honor and new success. The relation of our institution to yours in the 
early days was a peculiarly interesting one. The later days have witnessed 
friendly sentiment and generous devotion to the same good cause. May 
the future find the two united in the true University brotherhood — with 
the truest loyalty to learning and truth, and with the loftiest purpose for 
education and religion. 

I beg you will present my kindest and most respectful regards to the 
members of your Board of Trustees and your Faculty, and my thanks for 
the friendly invitation extended to me to be present at the anniversary. 
Were it not that the ocean separates me from my home at this time, I 
should surely have answered your kind summons by my presence and by a 
word from Yale — a word which will be spoken with the true Yale sym- 
pathy and friendship by our professors, and better and more felicitously, 
no doubt, than I could have spoken it. 

With much regard, I am very truly yours, 

TIMOTHY DWIGHT. 

312 



[professor WILHELM OSTWALD, university of LEIPZIG] 

[Telegram] 



Leipzig, Oct. 21, 1896. 

University, 

Princeton, N. J. 

Vivat crescat floreat Universitas Princetoniensis in 
aeternum. 

OSTWALD, 
Professor of Chemistry. 



313 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF 
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 




Aula NassoyicAs 1 1 60, 



PRELIMINARY NOTE. 



I am indebted to the History of the College by President Maclean ; to 
the Princeton Book published by Houghton, Mifflin & Company ; to the 
several Histories of the Presbyterian Church by Webster, Hodge, Gillett, and 
Briggs ; to those who have written sketches of Professors, and to Professor 
Charles W. Shields and Professor Henry C. Cameron, who have carefully 
studied the beginnings of the University. In writing a brief historical sketch 
of a college, one is compelled to make the Presidents, not absolutely, but rela- 
tively too prominent. It seems impossible, with so little space at one's dis- 
posal, not to do injustice, through lack of adequate mention, to Professors who 
not only have shared with the Presidents the burdens of administration, but 
as teachers have done the distinctive work of an institution of learning, and 
have largely given to it its reputation. The elder John Maclean; the brothers 
James and Addison Alexander ; Albert B. Dod, the mathematician and man 
of letters ; Joseph Henry, the physicist ; Stephen Alexander, the astron- 
omer; Arnold Guyot, the geologist and geographer; Lyman H. Atwater, the 
great teacher and wise counsellor; and Alexander Johnston, the political 
historian, and others, deserve commemoration in a volume like this as really 
as do Jonathan Dickinson and James McCosh. — J. De Witt. 




I. The Beginnings of University Life in America. 




^HE earliest colleges planted in America not only 
adopted the curriculum of the European univer- 
sities and manifested their spirit in new con- 
ditions, but are descended from them. Almost 
the youngest of the colleges of Cambridge is Emmanuel, 
founded in 1584. From the beginning of its life it was 
the home of Puritanism. Indeed, from the beginning of 
the Puritan movement this was true of the university. 
Before EmmanueP College existed, as Mr. Froude has said, 
" Cambridge, which had been the nursery of the reforms, 
retained their spirit. When Cambridge offended the govern- 
ment of Elizabeth, it was by over-sympathy with Cartwright 
and the Puritans." This sympathy with Puritanism on 
the part of the university at the close of the sixteenth 

' " Emmanuel owed its origin to the same movement of thought which pro- 
duced your Commonwealth, and the ideas which found expression on the 
coast of Massachusetts Bay were fostered in Sir Walter Mildmay's new Col- 
lege at Cambridge. Emmanuel College was founded to be a stronghold of 
the Puritan party in the days when they were waging a stubborn and deter- 
mined war for the possession of the English Church." — Prof Mandell 
Creighton, "Record of Harvard University's 250th Anniversary," p. 277. 



318 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

century was most intense in Emmanuel College. From 
Emmanuel came the most of the founders of Harvard. In 
this way, just when Emmanuel College had passed the first 
half century of its existence, Cambridge University became 
the mother of the oldest of the American universities. Thus, 
both because of intellectual and religious sympathy, and 
by the mode of a visible historical descent, the spirit of the 
institution which had long existed on the banks of the Cam 
in England, was embodied in the new institution of learning 
established on the bank of the Charles in New England. 
So strong was the sense of their indebtedness to the univer- 
sity in the mother country, and so intense was the feeling 
of historical relationship, that the founders of Harvard 
changed the name of the village in which the new college 
was given a home from Newtown to Cambridge. The 
college soon justified the hopes of its founders ; the hopes 
especially of that " reverend and godly lover of learning," 
John Harvard, who endowed it with his library and with 
one half of his other property, and from whom it obtained 
its name. 

Sixty-five years later Harvard College became, in turn, 
the mother of another college. For just as Harvard traces 
its origin to graduates of Emmanuel, Yale traces its be- 
ginnings to the Rev. James Pierpont, a Harvard graduate of 
the class of 1681, and the Rev. Abraham Pierson, a Harvard 
graduate of the class of 1668. The governor of Massachu- 
setts, Earl Bellamont, when addressing the General Court 
of the Commonwealth in 1699, n^a-de this remark: " It is a 
very great advantage you have above other provinces, that 
your youth are not put to travel for learning, but have the 
muses at their doors." It was not only the disadvantage 
of distance which the establishment of Harvard College 
overcame, but the disadvantage also which the non-con- 
forming subjects of Great Britain suffered, of inability. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 319 

because non-conformists, to enjoy the advantages of the 
English universities. Still, distance alone was thought a 
disadvantage in Connecticut. At the close of the seven- 
teenth century the population of the New England colonies 
had risen to one hundred thousand ; and already, in the 
colony of Connecticut, with a population of fifteen thousand, 
the need of an institution of liberal learning was deeply felt. 
Like the founders of the college at Cambridge, Massachu- 
setts, those most active in founding Yale College were min- 
isters of the Gospel, the most of them graduates of Harvard. 
In Dexter's historical sketch of Yale University, he says 
that " tradition describes the meeting of a few Connecticut 
pastors at Branford, the next town east of New Haven, 
about the last of September, 1701, and implies that to con- 
stitute a company of founders, those then met gave (or 
probably, for themselves and in the name of their most ac- 
tive associates, agreed to give) a collection of books, as the 
foundation for a college in the colony." The college charter 
clearly indicates that the end intended to be secured by the 
establishment of Yale was that which had led to the found- 
ing of Harvard and the universities from which it was de- 
scended. Full liberty and privileges were granted to the 
undertakers " for the founding, suitably endowing, and or- 
dering a collegiate school within His Majesty's colonies 
of Connecticut wherein youth may be instructed in the arts 
and sciences who, through the blessing of Almighty God, 
may be fitted for public employment in the Church and civil 
State." During the same year, i/oi, the trustees under the 
charter held their first meeting; and Yale College began its 
great and beneficent career. 

Harvard and Yale, with the Virginia College of William 
and Mary, the last founded by a royal charter in 1693, were 
the only institutions of higher learning in the colonies at the 
commencement of the eighteenth century. In important re- 



320 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

spects they were alike in origin and aim. Each of them 
arose among a homogeneous people. Each was the college 
of a people compacted by common religious beliefs and 
common modes of worship, by common social customs and 
ideals. Each was the college of but a single colony, sep- 
arated from the other colonies by distance, by its special 
government, and not seldom by conflicting interests. Each 
was a college born of the needs of the religious communion 
which was united with the State : and, what is specially 
important to notice, each was born at a time when the col- 
onies stood separate from one another, each valuing most 
highly what was most distinctive in its constitution, and 
conscious only of a loose union with the other colonies 
through the common government across the sea. Each, 
therefore, came into existence years before the colonists 
began to realize their unity as Americans, and to be con- 
scious of their affection for a common country. 

The conditions under which the fourth American college, 
the college at Princeton, was born, gave to it in impor- 
tant respects a different character. It was not the college 
of an established Church. It was not the college of a 
single colony. It was not the college of people sprung 
from a single nationality. It sprang out of the life of a 
voluntary religious communion which had spread itself over 
several colonies, and which united a large portion of their 
peoples in common aims and activities ; and it sprang into 
being at the time when Americans began to be conscious 
of their unity as Americans, and when the sentiment of pa- 
triotism for a common country was beginning to energize in 
united political action. In this way, at its birth, this fourth 
American college had impressed upon it a national and 
American character which it has never lost, which has 
largely determined its patronage and its pohcy, and which, 
during the war of independence and the period of consti- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 321 

tutional discussion following the war, enabled it to render 
great and special services to the United States. 

When the separate colonies of East and West Jersey 
were united in 1702, the Province of New Jersey formed by 
the union contained a population of fifteen thousand souls. 
This population was made up for the most part of English 
Friends, of New England Puritans, and of Presbyterians 
from Scotland and Ireland. The settlers increased rapidly 
in number; so that when, in 1738, the Province sought an 
administration distinct from that of New York, it contained 
not less than forty thousand people. The conquest of New 
York by the British had introduced into that city and the 
colony to which it belonged a mixed population. The 
Province of Pennsylvania, organized by the liberal consti- 
tution called " The Holy Experiment," granted by its pro- 
prietor, had opened its vast territory to immigrants of 
different nationalities and religious beliefs. The Pennsyl- 
vania immigrants were English Friends, Germans, and Pres- 
byterians from the north of Ireland. 

The wave of immigration from Presbyterian Ulster, on 
touching the American shore, spread itself more widely 
than any other. Scoto-Irish Presbyterians were to be found 
in New York, in New Jersey, in Pennsylvania, and in the 
southern colonies. They easily allied themselves with each 
other and, in the middle colonies, with the Puritan emigrants 
from New England. This alliance between the Scoto-Irish 
and the New England Puritans gave to the Presbyterian 
Church, from the beginning, what may be called properly 
an American as distinguished from an English or Scotch- 
Irish character. Indeed the Presbytery of Philadelphia, or- 
ganized as early as 1705 or 1706, by seven ministers, repre- 
sented at least four sources of the colonial population. In 
1717 a synod was formed with the three presbyteries of 
Long Island, Philadelphia, and New Castle. This organi- 



322 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

zation was the strongest bond between the several popula- 
tions just named in the three adjoining colonies. It united 
them in a single church. It brought together, often and at 
stated times, their religious leaders. The Puritan clergymen 
of East Jersey who were graduates of Harvard or Yale, and 
the Scotch-Irish ministers of Pennsylvania, who had won 
their degrees at Glasgow or Edinburgh, met and conferred 
at the synod of the church, and, after their return to their 
parishes, corresponded with one another on the welfare of 
their congregations, of the communities in which they lived, 
and of what they were beginning to call their common 
country. In these conversations and letters, not only the 
need of ministers for the rapidly multiplying churches, but 
the need also of educated leaders for the rapidly forming 
communities were often mentioned for the reason that they 
were deeply felt. The conviction soon became strong and 
well-nigh unanimous that these needs could be supplied only 
by a college for the middle colonies. 



II. The Origin of the College of New Jersey. 

In presenting the origin of Princeton College, one can 
best begin by repeating the statement just made, namely, 
that during the first half of the eighteenth century, by far 
the strongest bond uniting a large proportion of the popula- 
tion of southern New York, East and West Jersey, and the 
Province of Pennsylvania, was the organized Presbyterian 
Church. It constituted for these people a far stronger 
social tie than the common sovereignty of Great Britain ; 
for this sovereignty was manifested in different forms in the 
different colonies ; and, except in Pennsylvania, where the 
proprietary's spirit of toleration had fair play, it neither de- 
served nor received the affection of the most of the colonists. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 323 

In an important sense the British rule in the middle colonies 
was that of a foreign power. The New Englanders in East 
Jersey were settlers under a government in whose adminis- 
tration they had no substantial share. Far from controlling, 
they could with difficulty influence the political action of the 
Governor and his Council. In southern New York the Dutch 
were restive under the English domination. In New York 
City and on Long Island the relations between the Scot- 
tish Presbyterians and New England Puritans on the one 
hand, and the English Episcopalians on the other, were 
often inimical ; and it was only the latter to whom, on the 
whole, the King's representative was at all friendly. In 
Pennsylvania there were English Friends, Germans who 
had been invited by Penn to settle in the eastern counties 
of the Province, and Scoto-Irish Presbyterians, who landed 
at the port of Philadelphia in large numbers, and took up 
farms in the rich valleys between the mountain ranges. 
From the " Irish settlement," at the union of the Delaware 
and the Lehigh, where the city of Easton now stands, to 
Harris' Ferry on the Susquehanna, now the capital of the 
State, there were many Presbyterian communities ; and 
from these, in turn, moved the new emigrations to the great 
valley, called the Cumberland Valley, north of the Potomac, 
and, south of that river, the Valley of Virginia. 

The Presbyterians of these colonies and of Maryland and 
Virginia secured a visible unity when, in 1705 or 1706, their 
pastors and churches were organized as a presbytery. 
Touching the character of this organization, there has been 
a good deal of debate. But whether formed on the model 
of the English presbyterial association,^ or on that of the 
more highly specialized Scotch presbytery, the Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, as it was popularly called, furnished a means 
of association and of interchange of ideas among the Eng- 

^ Briggs' "American Presbyterianism," p. 139. 



324 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

lish-speaking clergymen who were scattered along the At- 
lantic coast from Cape Charles to Montauk Point. Into this 
new ecclesiastical organization soon came the New England 
congregations of East Jersey. By 1720 the Presbyterian 
Church was composed of German, Dutch, Scoto-Irish, and 
New England elements. The last two were by far the larg- 
est and most influential. 

The rapid increase of the population, the need of new 
churches, and the opportunities offered to organize them, 
impressed on the Presbyterian ministers of that day the 
need of an increase in their own ranks. Others might be 
depended upon to organize the material elements of civiliza- 
tion in the new communities ; but, just as it was at an ear- 
lier date in New England, the duty of providing religious 
teachers for the people was largely left to the ministers 
already at work. Francis Makemie, the first Presbyterian 
minister to come from Ireland to America, gave expression 
to his anxiety on this subject in letters written to Increase 
Mather of Boston and to correspondents in Ireland and 
London. In response to calls from the settlers, some min- 
isters came from New England and others from Ireland ; 
but the supply was far from equal to the demand. As 
the churches had multiplied, the original presbytery had 
been divided into several presbyteries, and these had been 
organized as a synod. And the members of the synod, be- 
coming more distinctly conscious of their mission to their 
common country, began to agitate the question of their 
independence, in respect to ministerial education, of both 
Great Britain and New England. 

This agitation did not terminate in itself. A few minis- 
ters, unwilling to wait for ecclesiastical action, opened pri- 
vate schools in which they taught the liberal arts ; and to 
the students thus prepared who desired to become readers 
in divinity, they offered themselves as preceptors. Precisely 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 325 

these steps in behalf of Hberal education were taken by the 
two Presbyterian ministers of New Jersey who afterward 
became the first two presidents of Princeton, Jonathan Dick- 
inson of EHzabethtown, and Aaron Burr of Newark. Still 
another Presbyterian minister, William Tennent, opened a 
private school destined to become far more influential than 
the school of either Dickinson or Burr. This was the Log 
College at the Forks of the Neshaminy. 

William Tennent was born in Ireland in 1673. We owe 
to the investigations of Dr. Briggs our knowledge of the 
fact that he was graduated at the University of Edinburgh, 
July II, 1695.^ He was admitted to deacon's orders in the 
Church of Ireland by the Bishop of Down in 1704, and two 
years later was ordained a priest. Though an Episcopalian, 
he was related by blood to Ulster Presbyterians, and he 
married the daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, the Presbyterian 
pastor of Dundonald. His father-in-law had suffered dur- 
ing one of the persecutions of the non-conformists, and the 
story of his hardships may be responsible for Tennent's re- 
nunciation of the Church of Ireland. At all events, " after 
having been in orders a number of years, he became scru- 
pulous of conforming to the terms imposed on the clergy of 
the Establishment, and was deprived of his living, and there 
being no satisfactory prospect of usefulness at home, he 
came to America."^ He landed at Philadelphia with his 
four sons in 17 16. Two years later he applied for admis- 
sion to the Synod of Philadelphia. The committee to 
whom his application was referred were satisfied with his 
credentials, with the testimony concerning him of some 
of the brethren connected with the synod, and with the 
material reasons he offered for " his dissenting from the 
Established Church in Ireland." These reasons were re- 

^ "American Presbyterianism," p. i86. 
^Webster, "Hist. Pres. Church," p. 365. 



326 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

corded in the synod's vamuits, ad fufura7n rei memoriam, 
he was voted a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and 
"the Moderator gave him a serious exhortation to continue 
steadfast in his holy profession." After laboring at East 
Chester and Bedford in New York, he removed in 1721 to 
Pennsylvania, and took charge of two congregations, Ben- 
Salem and Smithfield in the county of Bucks. Five years 
later he accepted a call to a congregation in the same 
county, at a point afterwards called the Forks of the Ne- 
shaminy. Whether a church had been organized before his 
arrival cannot now be positively determined. A house of 
worship was built about 1727. Here he lived for twenty 
years, during sixteen of which he was actively engaged as 
the pastor of the church. His personality is not well enough 
known to enable one to draw his portrait even in outline. 
Two things concerning him, however, are well known : his 
religious and missionary zeal and his exceptional attainments 
in classical learning. " While an orthodox creed and a de- 
cent external conduct," writes Archibald Alexander, " were 
the only points upon which inquiry was made when per- 
sons were admitted to the communion of the church, and 
while it was very much a matter of course for all who had 
been baptized in infancy to be received into full communion 
at the proper age,"^ this did not satisfy Mr. Tennent. The 
evangelical spirit which burned in the members of the Holy 
Club at Oxford inflamed the pastor of Neshaminy. He de- 
sired as communicants only the subjects of a conscious 
supernatural experience. When Whitefield first visited 
Philadelphia, Mr. Tennent called upon him at once, and 
they soon became intimate friends. He admired White- 
field's oratory, and was in full sympathy with his methods 
as a revivalist. Whitefield cordially reciprocated Tennent's 
friendship. He found no one in the colonies in whose com- 

^ " Log College," p. 23. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 327 

panionship he was more strengthened and comforted. He 
spent many days at the Forks of the Neshaminy, and it is 
to his journal that we are indebted for the best description 
of the Log College. 

William Tennent's high sense of the value of a liberal 
education, his desire to extend its benefits to his four sons, 
his determination to relieve, so far as he might be able, the 
destitution of ministers in the church with which he was 
connected, and his ambition to propagate his own views of 
preaching and of the religious life, led him, soon after his 
settlement at Neshaminy, to open a school of liberal learn- 
ing and of divinity. His cousin, James Logan, Secretary 
of the Province of Pennsylvania, gave him for this purpose 
fifty acres on Neshaminy Creek. There he raised a log 
building as a study for his pupils. It was as humble as the 
cabin of reeds and stubble which Abelard built for himself 
at Nogent, and which was made famous by the flocking of 
students from Paris to hear the words of the master. " The 
place where the young men study now," writes George 
Whitefield in his journal, "is in contempt called the College. 
It is a log house, about twenty foot long, and near as many 
broad ; and to me it resembled the schools of the old proph- 
ets. For that their habitations were mean, and that they 
sought not great things for themselves, is plain from that 
passage of Scripture wherein we are told that, at the feast 
of the sons of the prophets, one of them put on the pot, 
whilst the others went to fetch some herbs out of the field. 
From this despised place, seven or eight ministers of Jesus 
have lately been sent forth, more are almost ready to be 
sent, and a foundation is now being laid for the instruction 
of many others." The annals of the Log College are " the 
short and simple annals of the poor." Its life was brief, 
and of those who studied there we possess no complete list. 
Most of the ministers of Pennsylvania, while they probably 



328 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

regarded it with fear, spoke of it with contempt. When 
Tennent died no one continued his work. The building has 
long since decayed or been destroyed, and its site within 
the fifty acres is not clearly known. But the work done by 
the Log College was a great work. Tennent convinced the 
Presbyterians of the Middle Colonies that they need not 
and ought not to wait upon Great Britain and New Eng- 
land for an educated ministry ; and through his pupils and 
the pupils of his pupils, he did more than any other man of 
his day to destroy customs which were as bonds to the 
church, and to teach his brethren that evangelical feeling 
and missionary zeal were necessary to fulfil the mission 
of his communion in the growing colonies. " To William 
Tennent, above all others, is owing the prosperity and 
enlargement of the Presbyterian Church."^ 

From this school were graduated the four sons of the 
elder Tennent, and not a few others, who became eminent 
in the church; some of them in connection with the early 
life of Princeton College, and, before that college was 
founded, as founders of institutions like the one from which 
they came. One of these was Samuel Blair, who estab- 
Hshed a classical school at Fagg's Manor or New London- 
derry, where John Rogers, afterwards pastor of the Brick 
Church in New York City ; Samuel Davies, Princeton's 
fourth President; and William Maclay, United States sen- 
ator from Pennsylvania, were educated. Indeed, it may be 
said that by nothing is the high character of the Log 
College education more satisfactorily evidenced than by the 
attainments and efficiency of Samuel Blair and his brother 
John, upon both of whom Tennent had impressed his 
religious views and his zeal for the higher learning. No 
less distinguished than the Blairs was Samuel Finley, who 
succeeded Davies as President of Princeton College. That 

^ Webster, " Hist. Pres. Church." 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 329 

he was one of Tennent's students is not certain, but is 
in the highest degree probable. Tennent's school was in 
existence when Finley came from Ireland to Philadelphia 
to continue his studies, and there was no other school near 
at hand where students for the ministry were educated. 
He united with Tennent's presbytery and was licensed by 
it. When he became a pastor he opened a school like the 
Log College, and during all his life he supported the views 
which were associated with Tennent's name. What Samuel 
Blair did at Fagg's Manor, Samuel Finley did at Notting- 
ham, Maryland. He founded a seminary for classical study 
and for the training of ministers. How important its career 
was is shown by the fact that "at one time there was 
a cluster of young men at the school, who all were after- 
wards distinguished, and some of them among the very 
first men in the country : Governor Martin, of North Car- 
olina; Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, and his brother, 
Jacob Rush, an eminent and pious judge; Ebenezer Haz- 
ard, Esq., of Philadelphia; Rev. James Waddell, D. D., of 
Virginia; Rev. Dr. McWhorter, of Newark, N. J.; Colonel 
John Bayard, Speaker of the House of Representatives ; 
Governor Henry, of Maryland ; and the Rev. William M. 
Tennent, of Abbington, Pa."^ Less successful, because of 
the temper of the principal, was the school of another pupil, 
John Roan of Derry. 

The ministers educated in these schools soon showed 
themselves equal to positions in the colonies usually occu- 
pied by graduates of the universities of Scotland or of the 
New England colleges ; and it was their conspicuous suc- 
cess as pastors or teachers which led the Synod to take ac- 
tion in 1739 looking to the establishment of a college for 
the whole church. In that year an overture for erecting a 
seminary of learning was presented to the Synod. The 
1 " Log College," pp. 305-306. 



330 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Synod unanimously approved the design of it, and in order 
to accomplish it did nominate Messrs. Pemberton, Dick- 
inson, Cross and Anderson, two of whom, if they can be 
prevailed upon, to be sent home to Europe to prosecute 
this affair with proper directions. And in order to this, it is 
appointed that the committee of the Synod, with correspon- 
dents from every Presbytery, meet in Philadelphia the third 
Wednesday of August next. And if it be found necessary 
that Mr. Pemberton should go to Boston pursuant to this 
design, it is ordered that the Presbytery of New York sup- 
ply his pulpit during his absence.^ 

Two of the committee, Messrs. Pemberton and Dickinson, 
were natives of New England; Pemberton was graduated 
at Harvard and Dickinson at Yale. Dr. Anderson was 
from Scotland, and Mr. Cross was from Ireland. The com- 
mittee at once entered upon its duties. But the period did 
not favor the prosecution of the scheme. " While the com- 
mittee concluded upon calling the whole Synod together 
for the purpose of prosecuting the overture respecting a 
seminary of learning, yet the war breaking out between 
England and Spain, the calling of the Synod was omitted, 
and the whole affair laid aside for that time."^ This was 
the last legislative action taken upon the subject by the 
united church. Had the Synod founded a college, it is not 
probable that Princeton would have been selected as its site ; 
and, had Princeton been selected, the institution, by its of- 
ficial relation to the church, would have had a character 
and career very different from those of the College of New 
Jersey. 

But a conflict now began within the Synod, which led to 
its division in 1742. The conflict and the resulting division 
were due to the activity of two parties holding opposing 

^ "Records of the Presbyterian Church." Minutes, 1739. 
^ " Records of the Presbyterian Church." Minutes, 1740. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 331 

opinions as to the value of vivid religious experiences, and 
of preaching designed immediately to call forth religious 
confession, and as to the learning requisite for admission to 
the ministry. On the one hand was the party of the Log 
College. A number of its graduates and friends had been 
erected into the Presbytery of New Brunswick. This Pres- 
bytery, in violation of a rule of the Synod, had licensed 
John Rowland, a student of the Log College, and had 
intruded him within the bounds of the Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia : for the Synod had taken action that no candidate 
for the ministry, having only a private education, should be 
licensed by any Presbytery until such candidate's learning 
had been passed upon by a committee appointed for that 
purpose. The Synod responded by a resolution which 
characterized the Presbytery's conduct as disorderly, and 
admonished that body to avoid "such divisive courses" in 
the future. Moreover, the Synod refused to recognize 
Rowland as a minister, and ordered him to submit to the ex- 
aminations appointed for those who had only a private edu- 
cation. The members of the Presbytery of New Brunswick 
were intensely indignant. They asserted that the Synod's 
action reflected seriously upon the character of the training 
received at the Log College ; that it showed the Synod to 
be absolutely blind to the religious needs of the growing 
Colonies ; that it was an undeserved rebuke administered to 
the man who, more intelligently and faithfully than any 
other minister of the church, had labored and sacrificed in 
the interest of classical and theological education ; and that 
it had its origin in the Synod's wilful opposition to vital re- 
ligion. The other party, to which a majority of the Synod 
belonged, was recruited largely from the Scotch-Irish clergy 
of Pennsylvania. Between these two parties stood the Pres- 
bytery of New York, led by Dickinson and Pemberton. 
What the members of New York Presbytery could do in 



332^ PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the way of pacification they did. But the conflict from its 
beginning was too bitter to be composed, and it was made 
more bitter by the visit to America of George Whitefield, 
and the participation of the Log College and the New 
Brunswick men in Whitefield's revival measures. A di- 
vision of the Synod was inevitable. It took place in 1742. 
The Presbytery of New York, though separating in that 
year from the Synod of Philadelphia, did not at once unite 
with the Presbytery of New Brunswick. But negotiations 
for such a union were soon begun. In 1745 the union was 
effected, and the Synod of New York, formed by the union 
of the Presbyteries of New York, New Brunswick and New 
Castle, the last made up wholly of Log College men, was 
constituted. 

This Synod, it will be observed, was a union of New 
England clergymen and those who were immediately con- 
nected with the College on the Neshaminy, or who sym- 
pathized with the aims and measures of its founder. During 
the three years intervening between the division of the 
church and the formation of the new Synod of New York, 
many conferences were held and letters were written on the 
subject of a college. Owing to this schism it was impossi- 
ble for those now connected with the Synod of New York 
to take part in founding that "seminary of learning" which, 
in 1739, the undivided Synod had determined to organize. 
The adoption of the Log College as the College of the 
Synod was not favorably regarded for several reasons. It 
was too far from New York ; it was within the limits of the 
home of the other Synod ; its plan was too narrow ; and, be- 
sides, the elder Tennent died the very year of the organiza- 
tion of the New York Synod. The work of the Log College 
was over. Moreover, large-minded leaders like Dickinson 
and Burr wanted a college organized on a plan far larger 
than that of the Neshaminy school. Nor were they at all 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 333 

disposed to wait for synodical action. The character of the 
clerical promoters of the College of New Jersey, their train- 
ing, and their actual behavior make it not only credible, but 
in the highest degree probable, that if a college subject to 
the supervision of a church judicatory was ever before their 
minds, it was thought of only to be rejected. To quote the 
words of Dr. Maclean, the historian of the College, they 
" most probably neither sought nor desired the assistance 
of the Synod." Besides this underlying indisposition to 
invoke ecclesiastical action, there were special reasons at 
this time for not allowing the subject to be brought before 
the Synod for discussion. There were a few in the Synod 
of New York who, hoping for a reunion of the divided 
church, might propose cooperation with the Synod of Phila- 
delphia in the support of the college which the latter Synod 
was expecting to open at New London in Pennsylvania. 
Gilbert Tennent's opposition to any large plan had to be 
anticipated, for he had always expressed a preference for 
private and local schools. And Samuel Blair, who was 
conducting successfully an academy at Fagg's Manor, could 
scarcely be expected to favor any scheme which would end 
the work to which he had given his life. Considerations 
like these determined the promoters to independent but 
associated action. Three of them, Jonathan Dickinson, 
Aaron Burr and John Pierson, were graduates of Yale ; the 
fourth, Ebenezer Pemberton, was graduated at Harvard. 
The men from Yale had seen in their own alma mater what 
independent action could effect, and before the minds of 
the four ministers and the three laymen who acted with 
them was present an ideal very different from that which 
Tennent had made actual in the Log College. Certainly, 
with whatever design they began the project, when, after 
conference and discussion, they proceeded to final action, 
they did far more than organize a college for the education 



334 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

in the liberal arts of candidates for the holy ministry. That 
this function was in their apprehension important, and even 
eminent, there can be no doubt. But this was only one of 
several functions of the College of the higher learning for 
the middle Colonies. The benefits to be conferred by it on 
society at large in the rising communities of these Colonies, 
and especially on the other liberal professions, were quite as 
distinctly before the minds of the promoters and first trus- 
tees of Princeton College as were its relations to clerical 
training. This is made clear both by the provisions of the 
two charters and by the social and political standing of the 
trustees these charters name. 



III. The Founding of the College. The Two 
Charters. 

The two political divisions of New Jersey, the East and 
the West, were united in 1703. Up to 1738 the Governor 
of New York represented the sovereign in the province of 
the Jerseys also. In that year New Jersey was granted a 
separate executive, and Lewis Morris was appointed gov- 
ernor. He continued in office until his death in 1746. On 
the death of Governor Morris, John Hamilton, President of 
the Council, became the acting governor by operation of 
law ; and it was of Governor Hamilton, on October 22, 
1746, that the charter with which the College began its life 
was granted. The year before, the ministers whose names 
have been mentioned, and their associates, William Smith, 
William Peartree Smith and Peter Van Brugh Livingston, 
had been refused a charter by Governor Morris. The rea- 
sons for his refusal can be inferred from his views and his 
previous conduct. Apart from the doubt he may have felt 
as to his right to bestow it before receiving permission from 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 335 

the home government, he beheved that he would be doing 
an illegal or, at least, an impolitic act, if he granted the 
rights of a corporation, for educational purposes, to minis- 
ters and laymen not in communion with the Church of Eng- 
land. He had already refused a charter to the First 
Presbyterian Church of New York, for the reason that there 
was no precedent for conferring that privilege on a company 
of " Dissenters." 

But the death of Governor Morris gave to the promoters 
of the College new hope, and they presented the same peti- 
tion to Governor Hamilton. He was the son of Andrew 
Hamilton, who had been governor of East and West Jersey 
for a period of ten years. The fact that Andrew Hamilton 
was a native of Scotland led him to look with favor, cer- 
tainly with less opposition than that displayed by either 
Lord Cornbury or Governor Morris,^ on the rapid growth 
of the Presbyterian Church in the Colonies. His son John, 
himself perhaps a native of New Jersey, shared these views 
and feelings. At all events, he granted the petition, and 
signed the charter. This was the first college charter con- 
ferred in America by the independent action of a provincial 
governor. The charter of Harvard was the act of the leg- 
islature of Massachusetts ; that of Yale the act of the legis- 
lature of Connecticut; that of William and Mary was 
granted immediately by those sovereigns. The precedent 

^ Lord Cornbury and Governor Morris, though they were both opposed to 
non-conformists, were alike in nothing else. The latter, on more than one 
occasion, opposed vigorously the former's tyranny. Governor Morris was on 
the whole an admirable governor. And as to his opposition to the charter, 
Dr. Maclean makes the following remark : " In this matter the friends of the 
Church [of England] were in all probability no more unreasonable than the 
Dissenters themselves would have been, had their respective conditions been 
reversed. It was reserved for those not connected with established churches 
to be liberal-minded and regardful of the rights of others." — " History of the 
College of New Jersey," Vol. I, p. 43. 



336 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

made by Governor Hamilton was followed by other gov- 
ernors ; and its propriety was never afterward officially 
questioned. Indeed, it was never publicly questioned, ex- 
cept in a newspaper controversy in which only private and 
irresponsible opinions were expressed by writers who did 
not even sign their names. 

The name of John Hamilton, therefore, should be given 
a conspicuous place in any list of the founders of Princeton 
University. He granted the first charter; he granted it 
against the precedent made by the governor whom he suc- 
ceeded in the executive chair ; and he granted it with alac- 
rity, certainly without vexatious" delay. What is more 
remarkable, at a time when Episcopalian governors were 
ill-disposed to grant to Presbyterians ecclesiastical or even 
educational franchises, he — an Episcopalian — gave this 
charter to a board of trust composed wholly of members of 
the Presbyterian Church. Though the son of a governor, 
and acting as a royal governor, he made no demand that 
the government be given a substantive part in its adminis- 
tration ; and though granting the franchise as governor of 
a single province, he gave to it a board of trustees in which 
four provinces were represented. For the times in which he 
lived, his conduct evinces exceptional large-mindedness. It 
appears to have proceeded from the confidence he felt that 
a company of reputable gentlemen, of whatever Christian 
communion, and however widely their homes might be 
separated, who were willing to give their time, money and 
labor to the founding and maintenance of a college of liberal 
learning for men of all classes of belief, must be worthy of 
the confidence and protection of the sovereign political 
power. It has already been shown that the projectors of 
the College impressed upon it an unsectarian character by 
declining to seek the aid and oversight of the Presbyterian 
Synod, and that nevertheless its control by Presbyterians 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 337 

made it of necessity an inter-colonial institution. It is but 
just to the memory of President Hamilton to add, that legal 
effect was first given both to this religiously liberal proposal 
and to this national outlook by the signature of an acting 
royal governor who was a member of the Church of England. 
Unfortunately, the first charter was not recorded, and it is 
on that account impossible to compare its exact language 
with that of the second. But the " Pennsylvania Gazette" of 
August the thirteenth, 1747, published an advertisement of 
the College, which contains the first charter's substance. In 
this advertisement it is stated that the charter named seven 
trustees, the four clerical founders and William Smith, Peter 
Van Brugh Livingston and William Peartree Smith. To 
these original trustees was given full power to choose five 
others, who should exercise equal power and authority with 
themselves. The five chosen were the Rev. Richard Treat, 
and four clerical representatives of the Log College interest. 
The charter constitutes the trustees a body corporate with 
full power to act as such, and to convey their power to the 
successors whom they might elect. In the exercise of this 
power, however, no acts or ordinances for the government 
of the College could be passed, repugnant to the laws of 
Great Britain, or of the province of New Jersey, and pro- 
vision is distinctly made that no person shall be debarred of 
any of the privileges of the College on account of any spec- 
ulative principles of religion, but " those of every religious 
profession have equal privilege and advantage of education in 
said college." The charter gives to the trustees and their suc- 
cessors the power to give any such degrees as are given in any 
of the universities or colleges in the realm of Great Britain.^ 

^ Reprinted in "Princeton College Bulletin," Feb., 1891. Mr. William Nelson, 
to whose studies of the early history of the Province of New Jersey both the 
State and the University are indebted, brought it to the notice of the Fac- 
ulty. But for him we should not know the names of all the first trustees. 



838 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Whether in their respective preambles there was any dif- 
ference between the the first and second charters, no one 
knows and it were idle to conjecture. So far as appears, 
the scope of the institution, its educational design, the meth- 
ods appointed for fulfilling this design, the powers of the 
governing board, the degrees to be granted and the entire 
framework of a college or university, as set forth in the 
second charter, were set forth in the first, with the same 
precision, in the same order, and in the same general lan- 
guage. The second charter was sought by the original 
trustees, or suggested by the Governor and agreed on by 
both, in order to increase the number of trustees, to intro- 
duce into the Board representatives of the provincial govern- 
ment, to give laymen of other religious communions a share 
in the administration, to secure the favor of civilians in 
Philadelphia, and to make the lay trustees equal in number 
to those who were clergymen. These statements at least 
indicate the only changes that were actually made. One 
change proposed, to give to four members of the Provincial 
Council of New Jersey places, ex officio, on the Board, was 
not adopted. What would have been the effect of its adop- 
tion no one can tell. Possibly, it would have taken from 
the College its inter-colonial character and made it a merely 
local and provincial institution. But this is not certain. A 
similar provision in the charter of Yale did not prevent its 
development into a great national university. The changes 
were the result of friendly correspondence and conference 
between the promoters of the College and Governor Bel- 
cher ; but it is not possible to say in whose minds they sev- 
erally originated. 

In changing the constitution of a corporation, either the 
charter may be amended or a new charter may be granted. 
Why, in the case of the College, the latter method was 
adopted is not perfectly clear. It may be that this was re- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 339 

garded as the more convenient method, or that, even if not 
so convenient, it was thought either safer or more honora- 
ble, or both, to hold a charter from a royal governor than to 
hold one from a president of the Council. Possibly some 
of the steps taken by the government in issuing the first 
charter were irregular, or possibly some of the steps neces- 
sary to be taken were omitted. Three facts are significant. 
No mention of the charter of 1746, so far as can now be as- 
certained, was made in the Council's journal. In 1755 the 
first charter was attacked by a writer in the "New York 
Gazette," and a reply by a friend of the College was pub- 
lished, but in this reply the first charter, far from being de- 
fended, is pronounced "probably invalid," and the tone of 
the note is one of felicitation that the legality of the College 
rests securely on the charter of 1748. When Nassau Hall 
was built, the Trustees presented an address to the Governor 
who gave the second charter, in which they welcomed him, 
not only as patron and benefactor, but as " founder " also. 
These facts justify and almost compel the belief, that the 
conviction was general, that a cloud rested on the College's 
title to its franchise, which could be dissipated only — or at 
least be best removed — by an absolutely new charter. But 
they do not at all warrant the statement that the first charter 
was impotent and void. It was actually operative until the 
new charter was granted ; and, had it not been superseded, 
it would have continued operative until, challenged in the 
courts of the province, a decision had been rendered against 
it. Many of the official acts of governors and legislatures, 
if tested in the courts, would be held illegal, and some of 
them so illegal as to be invalid. But, never being chal- 
lenged, they have been just as potent as if they had complied 
with every constitutional demand. The first charter of the 
College, in its sphere, had certainly all the potency which acts 
of the kind just described have in their spheres. Moreover, 



340 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

we have not at this late day knowledge enough of the facts 
of the case to assert with confidence what, if the case had 
been tried, the decision of the court would have been. And 
even if it could now be satisfactorily proved, that, of the 
steps necessary to be taken, enough were omitted to make 
it certain that the first charter would have been adjudged 
illegal, it never was. On the other hand, it was granted ; it 
was announced ; the College was advertised and opened on 
its basis ; and it was called an " infant college," and one to 
be "adopted," by the very governor who granted the new 
charter. Let it even be supposed, that Governor Hamilton, 
in granting the charter, was guilty of unlawful usurpation 
of power. Louis XVIII regarded Napoleon I as a usurper, 
and Charles II so regarded Oliver Cromwell. But neither 
the Bourbon nor the Stuart king held that the franchises 
granted under the government of his predecessor were for 
that reason null and void. Governor Belcher and his Coun- 
cil, for reasons not clearly known to us but satisfactory to 
themselves, granted a new charter instead of amending the 
old one. But that is no good reason for taking a position 
which would compel the removal of the name of Jonathan 
Dickinson from the list of the presidents, and the name of 
John Hamilton from the list of the founders of the College.^ 

^ It is true, as is said above, that a friend of the College, writing in the " New 
York Gazette," expresses the belief that the first charter was " probably in- 
valid." But it must not be forgotten that fears were expressed by a devoted 
friend of the College that the second charter might be successfully attacked on 
legal grounds. When Mr. Tennent and Mr. Davies were in Europe, Tennent 
thought well of applying for aid to some members of the courts, particularly 
the lord chancellor. Davies says, " I was afraid, in case the College were 
discountenanced by them, they would find some flaw in the charter, and so 
overset it." Davies was speaking of the second charter. He referred the 
case to his friend the Rev. Mr. Stenet, who, he says, agreed with him fully. 
Stenet himself went afterward, not to the lord chancellor, but to Lord Duplin. 
He consulted with him in confidence. What Lord Duplin said about the 
charter we do not know. All that we know is that he assured Mr. Stenet 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 341 

The vacancy created in the office of governor by the 
death of Lewis Morris in 1746 was filled by appointment, 
in 1747, of Jonathan Belcher. Governor Belcher was a 
native of Massachusetts. His father, a man of large estate, 
had been a member of the Council of that Colony. The 
son was graduated at Harvard in 1699. Upon his grad- 
uation he visited Europe as a gentleman of fortune, and 
spent six years in Great Britain and on the Continent. He 
was received at the Court of Hanover, where he made the 
acquaintance of Sophia, the ancestress of those electors who 
became kings of England. On his return to Boston, he 
became a merchant. In 1729 he was appointed the agent 
in England of the Colony of Massachusetts, and in 1730 
governor of the Colony, an office he retained until 1741. 
During his administration he was actively interested in Har- 
vard College. He took advantage of the opportunities his 
position gave him to promote what he believed to be its 
welfare. He was not only an alumnus, but, as governor of 
the Colony, was a member of the Board of Overseers. His 
influence seems to have been exerted to compose the dif- 
ficulties between the two ecclesiastical parties which at that 
period were struggling for the control of the institution. 
He was a man of active intellectual sympathies and re- 
ligious character. Such a man, coming to New Jersey as its 
chief executive, would be disposed to take a deep interest 
in the prosperity of the new "seminary of learning." He 
would easily be interested in the project of the seven gradu- 
ates of New England colleges who were among its sponsors. 

that he would do nothing to their injury. — " Dr. Maclean's History of the 
College," Vol. I, p. 233. The truth is that mere private opinions never set- 
tled the question of the validity of any charter. An actually existing and oper- 
ative charter can be adjudged invalid only by the proper court of law. To 
postdate the founding of the college two years, for the reason that private 
individuals thought the first charter illegal or invalid, would be not only un- 
warrantable, but highly reprehensible. 



342 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Governor Belcher, soon after his arrival in New Jersey, 
in August, 1747, began to think and write about the Col- 
lege. As early as October of that year, having received 
from President Dickinson a catalogue of the institution, he 
wrote to the Rev. Mr. Pemberton, then pastor in New York, 
expressing the hope that the latter would come to Burling- 
ton and "lay something before the Provincial Assembly 
of New Jersey for the service of our infant College." 
Especially interesting is the Governor's statement: "I say 
our infant College, because I have determined to adopt it 
for a child, and to do everything in my power to promote 
and establish so noble an undertaking." Indeed, he wrote 
no less than three letters about the College on the same 
day ; that to Mr. Pemberton already quoted, one to Jona- 
than Dickinson, whose death, unknown to the Governor, had 
occurred the day before, and one to Mr. William Peartree 
Smith of New York, in which the phrase, " our infant Col- 
lege," is repeated. A week earlier he had written a letter to 
his friend Mr. Walley of Boston, in which, speaking of the 
College, he expressed the opinion that Princeton was the 
best situation for it, and added, " I believe that the trustees 
must have a new and better charter, which I will give to 
them." Indeed, until the second charter was granted on 
September 13, 1748, no one seems to have shown a greater 
interest in the institution than the Governor of the Province. 
The details of the second charter were the subject of cor- 
respondence and of frequent conferences between himself and 
the original promoters. One important question discussed 
was the persons to be named as the board of trustees, the 
board to which the property of the College was to be in- 
trusted and which was to possess plenary power in admin- 
istration. The interests of religion were cared for by re- 
appointing the clerical trustees under the first charter, except 
Jonathan Dickinson, who had died, and Samuel Finley, and 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 343 

by adding four others. All of the four were members of the 
Synod of New York, except David Cowell, pastor of the 
church at Trenton. When the division of the Presbyterian 
Church took place Mr. Cowell took the side of the Synod of 
Philadelphia, but he was not a violent partisan. Indeed, he 
was always a warm friend of Samuel Davies, and did much 
afterward to induce Davies to accept the presidency of the 
College. Three " Log College " ministers, Gilbert Tennent, 
William Tennent, Jr., and Samuel Blair, who were trus- 
tees under the first, are named in the second charter. The 
new clerical trustees were all active pastors. 

Governor Belcher desired to associate the institution close- 
ly with the state. For eleven years he had been governor 
of the Colonies of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He 
was always disposed strongly to assert the right of the state 
to a large place in all great projects having in view the wel- 
fare of the people. It was this habit of strongly asserting 
his dignity and authority as governor that led to unfriendly 
relations between himself and the people of Massachusetts, 
and finally to his dismissal, as it was the lavish expendi- 
ture of his private resources in the support of the dignity of 
his office during his official life in his native province that 
seriously reduced his fortune. His correspondence shows 
his belief in the high value of the services which, as gov- 
ernor, he could render to the new college ; and it was quite 
in keeping with his views and previous conduct to propose 
that the Governor of the Province and several of his Council 
should be, ex officio, members of the corporation. The last 
clause of this proposal met with strenuous and successful 
opposition. Whether the East Jersey and New York trus- 
tees under the first charter opposed it, it is not possible 
positively to say. Whatever they may have thought of the 
gentlemen who composed the council as at that time consti- 
tuted, it was probably no part of their original design to 



344 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

give a place to the official element, and doubtless they 
would have preferred to form no other connection with the 
state than that which binds every corporation to the gov- 
ernment which creates it. The opposition to both clauses 
of the proposal to give the state, as such, a share in the ad- 
ministration came naturally from the trustees who repre- 
sented the Log College, and especially from Governor 
Belcher's intimate friend, Gilbert Tennent, then the pastor 
of the Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. Even 
the innocent provision that the Governor of the Province 
should be, ex officio, president of the board of trustees was 
introduced against Mr. Tennent's earnest, indeed, some- 
what indignant remonstrance. At last a compromise 
was made. The Governor of the Province was made, ex 
officio, the president, and four members of the Council were 
named as trustees. But the latter were not named as mem- 
bers of the Council. They were appointed as eminent citi- 
zens of the Province, and their names appear in the charter 
not as councillors, but as individuals. 

It is to the Governor's interest in the College that we 
must attribute the appointment as incorporators of three 
citizens of Philadelphia. The three laymen in the board 
under the first charter were residents of New York. These 
were retained, but Philadelphia was given an equal number. 
These were the Hon. John Kinsey, formerly attorney-gen- 
eral and now chief justice of Pennsylvania, the Hon. Ed- 
ward Shippen, judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and 
Mr. Samuel Hazard, an eminent private citizen. " In the 
preparation of the charter," says Dr. Maclean, " Governor 
Belcher sought Chief Justice Kinsey's advice, and placed it 
in his hands for revision before submitting it to the attorney- 
general of New Jersey for his approval." In making these 
appointments. Governor Belcher sought for the College the 
interest not only of the city of Philadelphia, but also of its 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 345 

largest religious communion. Both Chief Justice Kinsey 
and Judge Shippen were members of the Society of Friends. 

The charter which names these trustees recites, as the 
occasion of its grant, a petition presented by sundry of the 
subjects of the King, expressing their earnest desire that a 
college may be erected in the Province of New Jersey, for 
the benefit of the said province and others, " wherein youth 
may be instructed in the learned languages and in the liberal 
arts and sciences," and that these petitioners have expressed 
their earnest desire that those of every religious denomina- 
tion may have free and equal liberty and advantages of edu- 
cation in the said College, any different sentiments in religion 
notwithstanding. In the name of the King, therefore, it is 
granted that there be a college erected to be distinguished 
by the name of the College of New Jersey. The trustees 
are constituted a body politic ; and, after the provision is 
made that the Governor and Commander-in-chief of the 
Province of New Jersey, for the time being, shall be trus- 
tees, the original corporators are named. The charter was 
read in Council on September 13, having previously been 
examined by the attorney- general, and issued on the next 
day, September 14, 1748. 

Including the Governor, there were twenty-three trustees. 
Of these twelve were ministers of the gospel, all of whom 
were liberally educated. Six of them were graduates of 
Yale, three were graduates of Harvard, and three received 
their training under the elder Tennent at the Log College. 
Of the lay trustees, Jonathan Belcher was graduated at 
Harvard, and William Smith, William Peartree Smith and 
Peter Livingston at Yale. The four members belonging 
to the Council of the Province of New Jersey were John 
Reading, James Hude, Andrew Johnston and Thomas 
Leonard. Andrew Johnston was elected treasurer. Three 
lay trustees were from New York, and three were from 



346 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Pennsylvania. Two of the trustees belonged to the Society 
of Friends, and one was an Episcopalian. The Governor 
was born of Puritan parents ; in his younger manhood he 
was devout and active as a Puritan ; in middle .life he was 
in sympathy with Whitefield and the Tennents, and in his 
last years he was a member of the Presbyterian Church 
of Elizabethtown. The remaining trustees, whether laymen 
or ministers, were members of the Presbyterian Church. 
The names of two that appear in the first charter do not 
appear in the second, the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, who 
had died, and the Rev. Samuel Finley. Why the latter was 
not reappointed is not known. It is not necessary to sup- 
pose that a clergyman who was afterward elected president 
of the College was at this time persona non grata to the 
Governor, the Council, his former colleagues, or the new trus- 
tees. It is more than probable that, not being strong, already 
burdened by the cares of both a parish and an academy in 
Maryland, and living at a long distance from the College, 
he felt himself unable to endure the fatigues of travel over 
poor roads to the necessarily frequent meetings of the board. 

Few boards of trust, having in view the purposes for 
which they were created, have been more wisely organized. 
In their several spheres, its members were all men of stand- 
ing. Many of them had already shown more than ordinary 
ability, and some of them were eminent. In the persons of 
the trustees three of the middle Colonies, their two chief 
cities, three religious communions, commerce, and the liberal 
professions, and the royal government of the province in 
which the College had its home, were represented, and all 
who had share in its administration were united in the 
earnest purpose to make it worthy of its franchises. 

The charter of 1748 is to-day the charter of the Univer- 
sity. It has been amended in but a few, and these not im- 
portant, particulars. Grateful for his grant of the charter. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 347 

the trustees in 1755 addressed Governor Belcher as not 
only the patron and benefactor of the College, but its 
"founder." He was indeed deeply solicitous for its wel- 
fare, and as governor, citizen, and Christian rendered to it 
great and conspicuous services. But it is at least a ques- 
tion whether the title of founder applied to him was de- 
served, or was in itself happy. It was certainly unmerited, 
if it is to be interpreted as excluding either his predecessor, 
John Hamilton, or President Jonathan Dickinson from shar- 
ing equally with him the honor due to those who laid the 
foundations of the University. After all, to speak of the 
"founders" of a university is to employ a metaphor; 
and it is not by a figure taken from among forms which 
have no life, even though it be a noble and spacious build- 
ing, that the character and career of a university can be 
best exhibited. To obtain an adequate symbol, we must 
rise into the realm of life. It is scarcely figurative to say 
that a university is not a mechanism, not even an artistic 
product, but an organism. And this is true of Princeton. 
A living seed, whose high descent we can trace through 
Yale and Harvard, through the Log College and Edin- 
burgh, through Cambridge, Oxford and Paris, back to Al- 
cuin and the school of Egbert at York, was planted here, 
wisely and with prayer. We shall better state the facts and 
shall more nearly credit each benefactor with the service he 
rendered, if we refuse to say that these men or this man 
founded it, and shall say instead, men planted it, men 
watered it, men cherished and nourished it, men threw about 
it the safeguards of the common and the statute law. All 
the while it grew because of the living and energizing idea 
which informed it. For the same reason it yielded seed 
after its kind and became a mother of colleges. And year 
by year its leaves and fruit, as they still are, were for the 
healing and the vigor of the nation. 



348 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 



IV. The Opening of the College. The Admin- 
istrations OF Jonathan Dickinson, Aaron 
Burr and Jonathan Edwards. 

The first charter having been granted, the trustees 
made preparations for the opening of the College. Their 
announcement was made on the 13th of February, 1747. 
They promised that it should be open to the public in May. 
Neither its presiding officer nor the place where instruction 
would be given was named. But on the 27th of April they 
were able to say: "The Trustees of the College of New 
Jersey have appointed the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, Presi- 
dent of said College, which will be opened in the fourth 
week of May next at Elizabethtown, at which time and 
place all persons suitably qualified may be admitted to an 
academic education."-^ No records remain from which can 
be ascertained the number of students during this first 
session. In 1748, however, six students were granted the 
degree of Bachelor. " It is morally certain," says Dr. Mac- 
lean, "that some, if not all of them, had been in training 
under the supervision and instruction of President Dickin- 
son." One of Princeton's first graduating class was Richard 
Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 
Mr. Dickinson's work as President was very brief. It 
began in the fourth week of May, 1747. He died before 
the first week of the following October had closed. The 
man to whom, as much as to any single person, the College 
was indebted for its existence, for the high ideas which 
informed it, and for the cordial cooperation of the Church 
and the State in its establishment, was permitted only to 

^ " At the time specified, the first term of the College of New Jersey was 
opened at Mr. Dickinson's house, on the South Side of the old Rahway Road, 
directly West of Race Street." — " Hatfield's History of Elizabeth," p. 350. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 349 

launch it upon its career. Nothing is known of the curricu- 
lum. We possess no account of it to which we can appeal 
in justification of the degree granted to these first gradu- 
ates. Their title rests upon the fame of their Presidents ; 
and there can be no better title than that they pursued with 
credit a course which Jonathan Dickinson and Aaron Burr 
esteemed adequate for the first degree in the liberal arts. 
President Dickinson was their principal instructor during 
the early part of their course. In teaching he had the 
assistance of the Rev. Caleb Smith, a graduate of Yale, the 
pastor at Newark Mountains, and later one of the most 
useful trustees of the College. 

Mr. Dickinson died October the seventh, 1747 ; and the 
following notice of his death and burial appeared on the 
twelfth of the same month. Dr. Hatfield, the historian of 
Elizabeth, supposes it to have been written by the Rev. 
Ebenezer Pemberton of New York, one of his associate 
founders: "On Wednesday morning last, about four o'clock, 
died here, of a pleuritic illness, the eminently learned and 
pious Minister of the Gospel and President of the College 
of New Jersey, the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Dickinson, jn the 
sixtieth year of his age, who had been Pastor of the First 
Presbyterian Church in this town for nearly forty years, 
and was the Glory and Joy of it. In him conspicuously 
appeared those natural and acquired moral and spiritual 
endowments which constitute a truly excellent and valuable 
man, a good Scholar, an eminent Divine, and a serious, 
devout Christian. He was greatly adorned with the gifts 
and graces of the Heavenly Master, in the Light whereof 
he appeared as a Star of superior Brightness and Influence 
in the Orb of the Church, which has sustained a great and 
unspeakable Loss in his Death. He was of uncommon and 
very extensive usefulness. He boldly appeared in the De- 
fence of the great and important Truths of our most holy 



350 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Religion, and the Gospel Doctrines of the free and sov- 
ereign Grace of God. He was a zealous Professor of godly 
Practice and godly Living, and a bright ornament to his 
Profession. In Times and cases of Difficulty he was a 
wise and able Counsellor. By his death our Infant College 
is deprived of the Benefit and Advantage of his superior 
accomplishments, which afforded a favorable prospect of its 
future Flourishing and Prosperity under his Inspection. 
His remains were decently interred here yesterday, when 
the Rev. Mr. Pierson, of Woodbridge, preached his funeral 
sermon ; as he lived desired of all, so never any Person in 
these parts died more lamented. Our Fathers, where are 
they and the Prophets, do they live forever?" 

Mr. Dickinson was fifty-eight years of age when he was 
elected President of the College. He was the most eminent 
minister of the Presbyterian Church. Certainly, of the 
division of that church to which he belonged, no other min- 
ister had been so variously active or so influential. Born 
in Massachusetts in 1688 and graduated at Yale in 1706, 
he was not twenty-one when he became minister of the 
church of Elizabeth town. " It was a weighty charge to be 
laid on such youthful shoulders. And yet not too weighty, 
as the sequel proved. Quietly and diligently he applied 
himself to his work, and his profiting presently appeared to 
all. It was not long before he took rank among the first 
in his profession."^ He united with the Presbytery in 17 16, 
and his church followed their pastor the next year. As a 
member of the judicatories of the Presbyterian Church, he 
labored to unite its discordant elements. He was the chief 
author of the Adopting Act of 1729, the synodical act 
which made a national church of that communion possible, 
and which is substantially its doctrinal basis to-day. As 
a pastor, he was not only faithful and efficient in caring for 

^ Hatfield's "Elizabeth," p. 329. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 351 

the moral and spiritual life of his people, but helpful every 
way. He read medicine and practised it. He was an 
adviser in legal difficulties, and greatly aided his pa- 
rishioners in their strife before the courts for their homes, 
when their titles were attacked by the East Jersey pro- 
prietors. He published treatises in Theology and Apolo- 
getics, and on the Church. His sermons were regarded 
by his contemporaries as among the ablest preached in the 
Colonies, and his name was often associated with that of the 
elder Edwards when the great theologians of the Colonies 
were named. He was deeply interested in missionary work, 
and united with Mr. Pemberton, of New York, and Mr. 
Burr, of Newark, in promoting a mission to the red Indians. 
Long before 1746 he felt the necessity of a college nearer 
New Jersey than Harvard or Yale, and did all in his power 
to supply the want by correspondence, by conference, by 
agitation in the Synod, and by opening a classical and 
theological school in his own house. He was a man of 
devout religious character and earnest evangelical spirit. 
Though without sympathy with much in the measures em- 
ployed by Whitefield, he was on Whitefield's side, encour- 
aged and defended him, and invited him into his pulpit. 
He had the advantage of a fine, manly presence ; and is 
said to have been serious but affable in his intercourse. It 
would be difficult to name another American clergyman of 
his day more widely and variously active, or whose activity 
was more uniformly wise and beneficent. This was due, 
as far as it could be due to any single quality, to a large- 
ness of vision which enabled him to see both sides in a 
controversy and most of the factors in a practical problem. 
He seems always to have been controlled by principle and 
impelled to action by high purposes. He was a man of 
calm temperament, and his faculties and attainments were 
made to yield the very best results to a resolute will. Yale 



352 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

may well be proud of him as an alumnus, and Princeton 
may well cherish the memory of the first as the memory 
of one of the greatest of her Presidents. 

Immediately upon the death of Dickinson, the care of the 
College was entrusted to the Rev. Aaron Burr. The stu- 
dents were taken from Elizabethtown to Newark. It was 
fortunate that Burr was so near at hand. It is probable that 
the Academy in Newark was still open ; but whether it 
was or not, his conduct of that institution made it compara- 
tively easy for him to take charge of the College. Its work 
went on without interruption ; but no student was graduated 
until the second charter had been granted. To Burr be- 
longs the honor of the organization of the curriculum of the 
College, its ceremonies and its discipline. How deeply im- 
pressed he was by the dignity of a college appears clearly 
in the account of the first commencement,^ held on the 9th 
of November, 1748, and of the inaugural address he deliv- 
ered. The State was represented by the Governor and 
Commander-in-chief of the Province. The trustees under 
the new charter subscribed the oaths and declarations which 
the law required, and elected Burr as President. This ac- 
tion was followed by the exercises of the commencement. 
The procession formed at the lodgings of the Governor and 
moved to the place appointed for the public acts. The char- 

' The reporter of this commencement was one of the trustees, WiUiam Smith, 
who was a corporator under both charters. He was not only a graduate 
of Yale College, but his interest in the acts of the new institution, whose first 
commencement he has narrated, was due to the fact that he held the position 
of tutor in his alma mater for five years. He was one of the most prominent 
lawyers in the Province of New York, a man of great influence in colonial 
politics, earnestly desirous of a union among the Colonies, and a member of 
the Congress held at Albany to secure a union between them. Upon his 
death the " New York Gazette " described him as a gentleman of great eru- 
dition, the most eloquent speaker in the Province, and a zealous and inflexi- 
ble friend to the cause of religion and liberty. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 353 

ter was read before the audience, who stood to hear it. In 
the afternoon the President of the College delivered a Latin 
oration on the value of liberal learning to the individual, to 
the church, and to the state. He spoke at length of the 
benefits conferred by the universities on Great Britain, and 
congratulated his countrymen that as soon as the Eng- 
hsh planters of America had formed a civil state they 
wisely laid religion and learning at the foundation of their 
commonwealth, and always regarded them as the foremost 
pillars of their government. He referred with gratitude 
to the growing reputation of Harvard College in New Cam- 
bridge, and Yale College in New Haven, which had sent forth 
many hundreds of learned men of various stations and char- 
acters in life who had proved an honor and ornament to their 
country. Most of the literati present, said Mr. Burr, looked 
to the one or the other of these colleges as their alma mater. 
The sun of learning had now in its western movement be- 
gun to dawn upon the Province of New Jersey. They were 
fortunate in having as their generous patron their most ex- 
cellent Governor, who, from his own acquaintance with 
academic studies, well knowing the importance of a learned 
education, and being justly sensible that in nothing could he 
more subserve the honor and interest of His Majesty's 
government, and the real good and happiness of his sub- 
jects in New Jersey, than by granting them the best means 
to render themselves a religious, wise and knowing peo- 
ple, had, upon his happy accession to his government, made 
the erection of a college in this Province for the instruction 
of youth in the liberal arts and sciences the immediate ob- 
ject of his attention and care. He spoke with gratitude of 
His Excellency's friendship, shown in the ample privileges 
granted in His Majesty's royal charter of the College ; 
privileges, said Mr. Burr, the most ample possible con- 
sistent with the natural and religious rights of mankind. 



354 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

He Spoke in a tone not only of congratulation, but of tri- 
umph, of the provision of the charter which grants free and 
equal liberty and advantages of education in the College, 
any different sentiments in religion notwithstanding, asserting 
that in this provision they saw the axe laid to the root of that 
anti-Christian bigotry which had in every age been the parent 
of persecution and the plague of mankind, and that by the 
tenor of the charter such bigotry could assume no place in 
the College of New Jersey. 

The disputations of the students followed. These were 
carried on in Latin. Six questions in philosophy and the- 
ology were debated. The reporter of the commencement 
names only one : ''An libertas ageitdi secundum dictamina 
conscienticE, in rebus mere religiosis, ab ulla potestate hu- 
mana coerceri debeat f Upon the conclusion of the dispu- 
tations the President presented the candidates to the trus- 
tees, asking whether it was their pleasure that they should 
be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; and the 
degrees were bestowed. The degree of Master, honoris 
causa, was accepted by the Governor. An oration of wel- 
come was then pronounced in Latin, by Mr. Daniel Thane, 
one of the new bachelors. Like the discourse of the Presi- 
dent, it was an eulogy of the liberal arts, in view of the 
benefits they yielded to mankind in private and social life, 
and was concluded by an expression of the gratitude of the 
bachelors to His Excellency the Governor, the trustees and 
the President of the College. Upon the conclusion of the 
exercises the trustees met, adopted the college seal, and 
enacted laws for the regulation of the students. "Thus," 
concludes the reporter, "the first appearance of a college 
in New Jersey having given universal satisfaction, even 
the unlearned being pleased with the external solemnity 
and decorum which they saw, it is hoped that this infant 
College will meet with due encouragement from all public- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 355 

Spirited generous minds ; and that the lovers of mankind 
will wish its prosperity and contribute to its support." 
Princeton University may well congratulate itself on the 
first public appearance of the College in its annual cere- 
mony, on the stately and decorous observances, on the 
large-mindedness of the inaugural discourse, the assured 
tone of the orator when speaking of the value of the liberal 
arts to the communities of Europe and America, on the 
spirit of hopefulness as to the future of the College, on 
the emphasis of the value of the institution not only to 
the church, to the communities and to the state, and on the 
sense of relationship not only with Harvard and Yale, but 
also with the universities of the mother country. The acts 
and addresses gave to the first commencement of the Col- 
lege a dignity which we must regard as exceptional among 
first commencements. It was in all its parts regarded as a 
happy omen, auguring a large and great career. 

The College laws enacted by the trustees on the same 
day show the standard of admission to have been, for the 
times, a high one. No one could be admitted to the Col- 
lege who was not able to translate Virgil and Cicero's Ora- 
tions into English, and English into true and grammatical 
Latin, and the Gospels into Latin or English, and give the 
grammatical construction of the words. The curriculum of 
the College during this period was in harmony with its 
standard of admission. The Latin and Greek languages 
and mathematics were studied throughout the entire course. 
Physical science was represented by natural philosophy and 
astronomy. Logic was studied with text-book, and its prac- 
tice was secured by means of discussion. Rhetoric was 
taught in the same way, and essays and declamations were 
required. Mental and moral philosophy were from the 
beginning prominent in the course. 

The loss of the minutes of the Faculty makes it impossible 



356 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

to set forth in detail the curriculum and the methods of in- 
struction. But we are fortunate in possessing letters of 
Joseph Shippen of Philadelphia, the son of Judge Edward 
Shippen, a trustee of the College, which give us a vivid 
picture of the life of a student. In 1750 he was a mem- 
ber of the freshman class. In a letter to his father, writ- 
ten in French, he says: " But I must give you an account 
of my studies at the present time. At seven in the morn- 
ing we recite to the President lessons in the works of Xeno- 
phon, in Greek, and in Watts' Ontology. The rest of the 
morning, until dinner time, we study Cicero, De oratore, and 
Hebrew Grammar, and recite our lessons to Mr. Sherman, 
the College tutor. The remaining part of the day we spend 
in the study of Xenophon and Ontology, to recite the next 
morning. And besides these things we dispute once every 
week after the syllogistic method, and now and then we learn 
geography." Two months later (April 19th) he requests his 
father to send him "Tully's Orations, which," he adds, "I 
shall have occasion to use immediately." In a letter of 
May 12, 1750, he says: "I believe I shall not want any 
more books till I come to Philadelphia, when I can bring 
them with me; which will be Gordon's Geographical Gram- 
mar and (it may be) Watts' Astronomy and a book or two 
of logic. We have to-day a lesson on the Globes. As I 
have but little time but what I must employ in my studies, 
I can't enlarge, otherwise I would give you some account of 
our College, as to the constitution, method, and customs, 
but must leave that till I see you." In a letter of the ist of 
June he says: " I shall learn Horace in a little while; but 
my time is filled up in studying Virgil, Greek Testament, 
and Rhetoric, so that I have no time hardly to look over 
any French, or Algebra, or any English book for my im- 
provement. However, I shall accomplish it soon. . . . The 
President tells our class that we must go into logic this 
week, and I shall have occasion for Watts' book of Logic." 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 357 

The letter of young Shippen presents with remarkable 
fulness and intelligence the studies of the freshman class. 
Watts' Astronomy is in all probability the volume entitled 
" The Knowledge of the Heavens and the Earth Made 
Easy, or The First Principles of Geography and Astronomy 
Explained," an octavo published first in 1726, the sixth edi- 
tion of which appeared in 1760. Its author was Isaac 
Watts, whose " Imitations of the Psalms " was already be- 
ginning to displace the version of Rouse in some of the Pres- 
byterian churches. He was the author also of the " book of 
Logic" which Shippen studied; and of this book Dr. John- 
son has said : " It has been received into the universities, and 
therefore wants no private recommendation. If he owes 
part of it to Le Clerc, it must be considered that no man 
who undertakes merely to methodize or illustrate a system 
pretends to be its author." The text-book which in the cor- 
respondence is called " Watts' Ontology " is probably the au- 
thor's essay or work on the "Improvement of the Mind, or 
Supplement to the Art of Logic." It had a wide circulation 
and a long hfe. It appeared first in 174 1 as a single octavo 
volume, and when Shippen studied it in Princeton it was in 
its third edition. As early as 1762 it was translated into 
the French and published at Lausanne. Dr. Johnson not 
only acknowledges his own indebtedness to it, but adds : 
"Whoever has the care of instructing others may be 
charged with deficiency in his duty if this book is not com- 
mended." Isaac Watts was not a university man. The 
Independents of England, in his day, had to rely for their 
education on private academies. Few men of his age, how- 
ever, had their powers so well in hand as he had his, and 
few men have employed their powers more usefully. His 
literary product is enormous in its bulk and wide in its 
range. His sympathy with youth made him an admira- 
ble composer of text-books. While England during the 
eighteenth century produced many writers of far greater 



358 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

attainments and endowments, it is questionable whether it 
produced any other so immediately and widely useful. 

The sophomore class studied rhetoric, mathematics, natu- 
ral philosophy and astronomy, and continued their classi- 
cal reading. Astronomy was studied with text-book and 
the orrery constructed by David Rittenhouse. The text- 
book in natural philosophy was a work in two volumes. 
Its author was Benjamin Martin, a learned optician, who 
appears to have been as prohfic a writer as Isaac Watts 
himself, and whose works, in their day, were highly es- 
teemed. No less than thirty-one of his works were pub- 
lished. His Natural Philosophy is entitled " Philosophia 
Britannica, a New and Comprehensive System of the New- 
tonian Philosophy, Astronomy and Geography, with Notes." 
He conducted a school, made optical instruments, invented 
a reflecting microscope, and enjoyed a high reputation as a 
maker of spectacles. He wrote on natural philosophy, on 
electricity, on the construction of globes, and on the ele- 
ments of optics. 

The study of the classics was continued during the four 
years. The seniors had a special course in ethics, using as 
a text-book Henry Grove's " System of Moral Philosophy," 
in two volumes. As early as the administration of President 
Burr more time than was customary in colleges was de- 
voted to the study of mathematics and natural science. 
Optional studies were pursued in these branches. In 1752, 
Shippen writes as follows: "The President has been in- 
structing two or three of us in the calculation of eclipses." 
He also speaks of his studying, outside of the necessary 
exercises of the College, the theory of navigation. 

While President Burr was organizing the curriculum, 
the trustees were conferring and corresponding about the 
permanent location of the College. Newark was too near 
to New York City to satisfy the trustees residing in Penn- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 359 

sylvania. It was important, if the College was to retain the 
support of the communities represented in the Board of 
Trustees, that a place should be selected which would be 
reasonably convenient to both Pennsylvania and New York. 
Proposals were made to two of the central towns of New 
Jersey. The trustees were fully aware of the pecuniary 
and social value of the College to any town in which it 
should be planted, and they were determined not to plant 
it among any people who were unwilling to compensate the 
institution for its presence. In September, 1750, they voted 
" that a proposal be made to the towns of Brunswick and 
Princeton to try what sum of money they could raise for 
the Building of the College, by the next meeting, that the 
trustees may be better able to judge in which of these places 
to fix the place of the College." In the following May the 
trustees selected New Brunswick, " provided the citizens of 
the place secure to the College a thousand pounds in procla- 
mation money, ten acres for a college campus, and two hun- 
dred acres of woodland not farther than three miles from 
the town." Meanwhile the citizens of Princeton were active 
and anxious. They were ready with a definite proposition 
as to land for the building, and with promises of a sub- 
scription for its erection. The treasurer and another mem- 
ber of the board were directed to view the promised land at 
Princeton, and also that to be given by the inhabitants of 
New Brunswick, and to report to the trustees in the follow- 
ing September. By September the views of the trustees 
concerning the respective advantages of the two towns had 
somewhat changed ; and from this time until September, 
1752, when it was voted that the College be fixed at Prince- 
ton, the latter place steadily increased in favor. 

Princeton was almost on the line between the eastern and 
western divisions of New Jersey. Indeed it lies between 
the lines made by the two surveyors, Keith and Lawrence. 



360 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

It is almost midway between New York and Philadelphia, 
and its one street was a part of the great thoroughfare be- 
tween them. It stands on the first highland west and north 
of the ocean ; and this highland, though but a little more 
than two hundred feet above the level of the sea, is the 
first of the foot-hills of the Appalachian mountains. A set- 
tlement had been made as early, certainly, as 1696. Four 
of the seven families of settlers belonged to the Society of 
Friends. They came from other parts of New Jersey. The 
two remaining families came from New England. These 
families — the Clarks, the Oldens, the Worths, the Horners, 
the Stocktons, the Fitzrandolphs, and the Leonards — "con- 
stituted the strength and sinew of the community, not only 
at the beginning, but long afterward." A few miles east of 
Princeton stands the village of Kingston. It is thought 
that Kingston derived its name from the fact that it stands 
upon the road called the King's Highway, between New 
Brunswick on the Raritan and Trenton on the Delaware. 
If not settled before Princeton, it received its name earlier, 
and its designation suggested the name of the town in 
which the College was placed. It is not unlikely that the 
latter was called after William III, of England, by his title 
of Prince, and that the name of the College building, Nas- 
sau Hall, was suggested to Governor Belcher by the name 
of the town in which it stood. The conditions insisted on 
by the trustees were all met by the people of Princeton. 
Mr. Sergeant, the treasurer, had already viewed the ten 
acres of cleared land on which the College was to stand, 
and the two hundred- acres of woodland. The final action 
was taken by the board in September, 1752. The terms of 
payment of the one thousand pounds proclamation money 
are set forth in the vote of that date. The trustees de- 
manded that a deed of the land be executed by a certain 
date, or the privilege of having the College established at 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 361 

that place would be forfeited. Four and a half acres of 
ground were deeded to the College by Nathaniel Fitzran- 
dolph, and the date of the execution of this deed may be 
regarded as the date of the College's location in the town 
where it now stands. 

It was determined to proceed with the erection of two 
buildings, a college hall and a house for the President. It 
was voted that the college hall be built of brick, if good 
brick could be made at Princeton. Fortunately, at a sub- 
sequent meeting, the vote was rescinded, and stone was 
selected. The President's house, which was to have been 
built of wood, was built of brick. The site of the college 
on the land was selected by Samuel Hazard, and the plan 
in general was indicated by Dr. Shippen. Each of them 
acted in association with Mr. Robert Smith, the architect 
of the building. The ground was broken in July, 1754. 
Soon afterwards the corner-stone was laid at the north- 
west corner of the cellar. The building was completed in 
1757. It was one hundred and seventy feet long and fifty- 
four feet wide. At the centre it projected toward the front 
four feet, and toward the rear twelve feet. What is now 
the cellar was then the basement. It had, as now, three 
stories, and was surmounted by a cupola. Twice since its 
erection, in 1802 and in 1855, the interior of the building 
has been destroyed by fire ; but the honest workmanship of 
the first builders enabled it to survive both desolations. Dr. 
Finley, a later President of the College, thus describes it: 
" It will accommodate about one hundred and forty-seven 
students, computing three to a chamber. These are twenty 
feet square, leaving two large closets with a window in each 
for retirement. It has also an elegant hall of gentle work- 
manship, being a square of near forty feet, with a neatly fin- 
ished front gallery. Here is a small though exceedingly 
good organ which was obtained by a voluntary subscrip- 



362 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

tion, opposite to which, and of the same height, is erected a 
stage for the use of the students in their pubhc exhibitions. 
It is also ornamented on one side with a portrait of his late 
Majesty at full length, and on the other with a like picture 
(and above it the family arms neatly carved and gilt) of his 
Excellency Governor Belcher. The library, which is on the 
second floor, is a spacious room, furnished, at present, with 
twelve hundred volumes, all of which have been gifts of the 
patrons and friends of the institution both in Europe and 
America. There is on the lower story a commodious din- 
ing hall, together with a large kitchen, steward's apartments, 
etc. The whole structure, which is of durable stone, hav- 
ing a neat cupola on its top, makes a handsome appearance 
and is esteemed to be the most convenient plan for the pur- 
poses of a college of any in North America." 

Governor Belcher was not content simply to enjoy the 
position of the College's official patron. He gave to its in- 
terests his time. He commended it to his friends, encour- 
aged the trustees in every way, and was one of its largest 
benefactors. It was altogether appropriate that the trustees 
should, as they did, propose to name the new building after 
him. This honor the Governor declined, and requested the 
trustees to call the building Nassau Hall, as " the name 
which expresses the honor we render, in this remote part 
of the globe, to the immortal memory of the glorious King 
William the Third, who was a branch of the illustrious 
House of Nassau." The trustees recorded his letter, and 
ordered that "the said edifice be in all time to come, called 
and known by the name of Nassau Hall." The College was 
removed to Princeton in the autumn of 1756. "In that 
year," says Mr. Randolph in his memoranda, "Aaron Burr, 
President, preached the first sermon, and began the first 
school in Princeton College." The College opened with 
seventy students. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 363 

The erection of this building required a large addition to 
the funds of the College. The friends of the institution in 
the Colonies, unable to meet the expense, sent to the mother 
country a commission to ask contributions. The Governor 
wrote, in behalf of the commission, to his British friends. 
Two clergymen were found, who were willing to act as the 
solicitors. These were the Rev. Samuel Davies, of Vir- 
ginia, and the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, of Philadelphia. It was 
necessary to their success that they secure the sanction and 
commendation of the Synod of New York. The commen- 
dation of the Synod was addressed to the General Assem- 
bly of the Church of Scotland. It stated the importance of 
the College to the congregations under the care of the 
Synod. It set forth the services which the College had 
already rendered in supplying educated and accomplished 
ministers for these churches. It certified that Mr. Tennent 
and Mr. Davies were appointed by both the trustees and the 
Synod, and recommended them and their mission to the 
acceptance of the Church of Scotland. Davies and Tennent 
were well received by the Independent and the Presbyterian 
ministers of England. The Scottish General Assembly 
heard their petition favorably and even with enthusiasm, 
and appointed a committee to draw up an act of recom- 
mendation for a collection in the churches. This was the 
more gratifying because the Synod of Philadelphia or sev- 
eral of its members had endeavored, by correspondence, to 
put stumbling-blocks in the way of their success, no doubt 
because of Synod's desire to promote the interests of its 
own College. Tennent visited his native Ireland, and suc- 
cessfully brought the subject to the attention of the Synod 
of Ulster. " The mission of these gentlemen," says Dr. 
Maclean, " was successful beyond all expectation, and they 
obtained an amount of funds which enabled the trustees to 
proceed without further delay in the erection of their pro- 



364 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

posed college hall, and also of a house for the residence of 
the president and family."^ Tennent and Davies received 
in London about twelve hundred pounds sterling; and from 
the west of England and from Ireland Tennent obtained 
five hundred pounds. Davies collected in the provinces 
about four hundred pounds. In addition to this, about 
three hundred pounds were contributed for funds for can- 
didates for the ministry, and collections for the College 
were made in the churches in Scotland and Ireland by order 
of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and of 
the Synod of Ulster. 

The College had now been in existence for eleven years. 
It had a permanent home in a favorable location, and was 
the possessor of the finest college hall in the country. Effec- 
tive measures had been taken to heal the schism in the Pres- 
byterian Church. The reunion of the two Synods, which 
brought to the aid of the College and to its patronage a far 
larger number of friends than up to this time it had pos- 
sessed, took place in 1758. But before the reunion took 
place two of its most important friends passed away. Gov- 
ernor Jonathan Belcher^ died on Wednesday, August 31. 
In less than a month his death was followed by the death 
of President Aaron Burr. 

^"History of the College," Vol. I, p. 152. 

"The administration of Governor Belcher in New Jersey was wise and able, 
and of great advantage to the province as well as to the College. Samuel 
Smith the historian, and a contemporary, contrasts his career as governor 
of Massachusetts with his career as governor of New Jersey. In Massachu- 
setts he " carried a high hand in the administration, disgusted men of influ- 
ence, and, at one time, putting a negative on several counsellors, occasioned 
so many voices to unite in their applications against him that he was removed 
from his government." When he was appointed governor of New Jersey 
" he was advanced in age yet lively, diHgent in his station and circumspect 
in his conduct, religious, generous, and affable. He affected splendor at least 
equal to his rank and fortune, but was a man of worth and honor. And 
though in his last years under great debility of body from a stroke of palsy, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 365 

Governor Belcher's death was not unexpected. He was 
almost seventy-six years old, and for several years he had 
been a paralytic. But President Burr was only forty-one ; 
and it had been hoped that the College, whose curriculum 
and discipline he had so wisely organized, would have the 
benefit of his wisdom for many years to come. Born in 
1 716, he was graduated at Yale in 1735, and was ordained 
at Newark in 1738. For nine years he was the pastor of 
the Presbyterian church in that place, and conducted also a 
large Latin school. In 1747, on the death of Dickinson, 
he took charge of the College, and was reelected President 
under the new charter. The Rev. Caleb Smith delivered, 
by appointment of the Trustees, a discourse commemora- 
tive of President Burr, in which he is presented as a peace- 
loving, studious and industrious man, of quick and large 
intelligence, of great wisdom in the administration of the 
College, devout and earnest as a Christian, and as a preacher 
"he shone," says Mr. Smith, "like a star of the first magni- 
tude." The following extract from the memorial discourse 
goes far in explaining the wide popularity he enjoyed and his 
conspicuous success as President. " He was a great friend 
to liberty both civil and religious, and generously espoused 
this noble cause on every suitable occasion. As he ab- 
horred tyranny in the State, so he detested persecution in 
the Church, and all those anti-Christian methods which 
have been used by most prevailing parties, somehow or 
other, to enslave the consciences of their dissenting breth- 
ren. He was very far from indulging a party spirit, and 
hated bigotry in all its odious shapes. His arms were open 

he bore up with firmness and resignation, and went through the business of 
the government in the most difficult part of the late war with unremitting zeal 
in the duties of his office." No act of his administration, however, gave him 
greater satisfaction than his grant of the charter of 1748 to the College. From 
the day of its grant to his death, he was among its most active and generous 
benefactors. 



366 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

to a good man of any denomination, however he might in 
principle differ or in practice disagree as to what he himself, 
in the lesser matters of religion, judged to be preferable. 
He was no man for contention, and at a wide remove from 
a wrangling disputant; these bitter ingredients came not 
into the composition of his amiable character. His modera- 
tion was well known to all men that knew anything of him. 
A sweetness of temper, obliging courtesy and mildness 
of behavior, added to an engaging candor of sentiment, 
spread a glory over his reputation, endeared his person to 
all his acquaintances, recommended his ministry and whole 
profession to mankind in general, and greatly contributed 
to his extensive usefulness." 

Four days after the death of Burr, the commencement of 
1757 took place. It was the first commencement at Prince- 
ton. The graduating class numbered twenty-two. With- 
out any delay a successor was chosen. Seventeen out 
of the twenty trustees present at the meeting voted for 
the father-in-law of Burr, the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, of 
Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It required no little pressure 
to induce Mr. Edwards to leave Stockbridge and his work 
among the Indians. It was the more difficult because his 
life there gave him the time and seclusion needed for study 
and composition. To quote the language of the trustees, 
"he came only after repeated requests." An ecclesiastical 
council, in December, 1757, released him from his labors at 
Stockbridge. He arrived at Princeton and was qualified as 
President on the sixteenth of February, 1758. One week later 
he was inoculated for the smallpox, and died the twenty-sec- 
ond of March. He preached before the College, but did little 
teaching. We are told that " he did nothing as President, 
unless it was to give out some questions in Divinity, to the 
senior class, to be answered before him ; each one having 
opportunity to study and write what he thought proper upon 



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PRINCETOiN" SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 367 

them. When they came together to answer them, they 
found so much entertainment and profit by it, especially by 
the light and instruction Mr. Edwards communicated in 
what he said upon the questions when they had delivered 
what they had to say, they spoke of it with the greatest 
satisfaction and wonder." ^ We can easily understand how 
severe a blow the death of this great man, almost immedi- 
ately after his accession to the Presidency, must have been 
to the College. But the fact that he had accepted the Presi- 
dency gave celebrity to the College; and though he was not 
permitted to labor for it, the College has always derived 
great advantage from his illustrious name. " Probably no 
man," says Dr. Maclean, " ever connected with this institu- 
tion has contributed so much to its reputation both at home 
and abroad." 

Less than a month after the death of President Edwards 
the Trustees met for the election of his successor. They 
turned to a graduate of the elder college which had given 
them three Presidents, and invited the Rev. James Lock- 
wood of Weathersfield, Connecticut, to take the vacant 
place. Dr. Ashbel Green speaks of him as " a man of great 
worth and high reputation." He declined the election, as, 
later, he declined the election to the Presidency of Yale 
College after the resignation of Clapp, and the Board chose 
as Jonathan Edwards' successor the Rev. Samuel Davies. 



V. The Administrations of Samuel Davies and 
Samuel Finley. 

The election of Samuel Davies to the presidency of the 
College was the beginning of a new era in its administration. 
Up to this time the prevailing influence had been that of the 

^ Edwards, " Works," Biographical Introduction. 



368 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

New England Presbyterians of East Jersey. The first three 
Presidents were graduates of Yale ; and when the fourth 
election was held another Yale graduate was chosen. But 
the statement of Mr. Davies, that himself and another gen- 
tleman divided with Mr. Lockwood the votes of the Trus- 
tees, would seem to indicate that what may be called the 
New England element had to face formidable rivals in the 
Board. It is not probable that the Board was divided into 
parties ; but it is not difficult to believe that the Trustees 
from East Jersey, who owed so much to the two colleges 
of New England, and who were in sympathy with their 
methods and aims, held that the College must for some 
time to come obtain its chief executive officer from among 
the graduates of Yale and Harvard. Two or three consid- 
erations, however, after Mr. Lockwood's declinature led a 
large majority of the Board to look elsewhere. The now 
disbanded Log College, whose friends had united with the 
College of New Jersey in the support of the latter institu- 
tion, had as yet been given no representative in the execu- 
tive office ; the patronage of the College was more and 
more drawn from the Middle and Southern Colonies ; and 
the Presbyterian Church was developing rapidly a distinc- 
tive and influential ecclesiastical Hfe. Meanwhile two Pres- 
byterian ministers, one of whom was graduated at the school 
of a son of the Log College, and the other probably at the 
Log College itself, had discovered gifts which seemed to 
their friends to fit them for the presidential office. Both 
were prominent ministers of the Church. One was eminent 
as a sacred orator, the other as a classical scholar and 
teacher. One of them lived in Virginia and the other in 
Maryland : two Colonies to which the College was looking 
for students. When Mr. Lockwood declined, the Board's 
attention was fixed exclusively upon these two men : the 
Rev. Samuel Davies and the Rev. Samuel Finley. The 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 369 

choice fell upon Mr. Davies. He was chosen at a meeting 
held the sixteenth of August, 1758. At first, he declined 
absolutely ; partly because of the unwillingness of the Vir- 
ginia Presbyterians to give him up to the College, and partly 
because he believed that Mr. Finley would make the better 
President. But opposition to Finley developed in the Board, 
and a way was found for the release of Davies from his Vir- 
ginia parish. A meeting of the Trustees was held in May, 
1759, when he was again elected. He began his adminis- 
tration on the twenty-sixth of the following July. 

The new President was the most eloquent preacher in 
his communion. One of the historians of the Presbyterian 
Church^ does not hesitate to describe him as "next to 
Whitefield, the most eloquent preacher of his age." His 
Celtic blood endowed him with the gifts of vivid emotion 
and fervid speech. He had passed through a religious ex- 
perience as violent in its phases as that of Bunyan or of 
Whitefield. The classical and theological education he had 
received at the school of Samuel Blair had disciplined his 
powers without diminishing his enthusiasm. He was in 
full sympathy with the theology of the evangelical revival, 
and ardently adopted the measures by which the revival 
was promoted. In Virginia, where the Church of England 
was established, and where it was necessary for ministers 
not connected with the establishment to procure from the 
General Court licenses to hold religious services, Davies 
was fortunate enough to obtain one. He was settled at 
Hanover as the pastor of the church ; but his eloquence 
was heard in the neighboring counties by delighted congre- 
gations. "The different congregations or assemblies to 
which he ministered were scattered over a large district of 
country, not less than sixty miles in length ; and the licensed 
places for preaching, of which there were seven, were, the 

1 Dr. Gillett. 



370 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

nearest, twelve or fifteen miles apart." ^ In addition to his 
work as pastor and preacher, he was the most prominent 
citizen of his Colony in maintaining and defending the 
rights secured to the non-conformists by the Act of Tolera- 
tion. His addresses and correspondence show that the 
cause of religious liberty in Virginia could not have had a 
wiser, abler or more faithful advocate. What large-mind- 
edness, catholicity of spirit and diplomatic courtesy could 
effect was secured by his activity to the dissenting Presby- 
terian colonists and to their clergy. The contest for toler- 
ation was long and doubtful. Indeed, toleration was not 
finally secured until religious liberty was won by the sepa- 
ration of Virginia from the mother country. But to Davies, 
as much as to any one man, the Presbyterians of Virginia 
owed the confirmation of their right as British subjects to 
worship God after the customs of their fathers. Amid all 
this work, he found time to take a large and active part in 
the general work of the growing church to which his con- 
gregation belonged. He led the Presbytery of which he 
was a member in its organization of missionary labors, and 
no counsel was more highly valued in the Synod than his. 

His eloquence and ability and his popularity in Virginia 
and throughout the Church by themselves might well have 
led the Trustees to invite him to the presidency of the Col- 
lege. But though never a trustee himself until as President 
he became a member of the corporation, he was early asso- 
ciated with it. At the commencement of 1753, as a candi- 
date for Master, he defended the thesis Personates distinc- 
tiones in Trinitate sunt ceternce, and was granted the degree. 
It was as a taureatus of the College, therefore, as well as one 
of a commission of the Synod, that in November of the same 
year he sailed for Great Britain with Gilbert Tennent to 
ask contributions for the institution. The success of the 

^ Maclean's " Hist," Vol. I, p. 223. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 371 

commission was largely due to the profound impression 
made by the preaching and the charming personality of 
Davies. Everywhere he went he justified the reputation for 
eloquence which preceded him. He was heard seventy times 
in Great Britain, and, it is said, never failed to produce a pro- 
found spiritual impression. Nor did his sermons, like those 
of Whitefield, lose their power to interest when reproduced 
in type. Undoubtedly, the criticism that their language is 
often loose and their rhetoric often turgid is just. But they 
are great discourses, organized by an orator who knew the 
power of eloquence and how to wield it, suffused with feel- 
ing, made substantial by weighty truths and vitalized by the 
spirit of the Great Awakening. The popularity of Davies 
as a preacher survived for many years the man himself 
Between his death in 1761 and the close of the century, no 
less than nine editions of his sermons were published in 
England. These were widely circulated in that country 
and in America. It is a remarkable tribute to a literary 
product the whole of which was thrown off rapidly, and 
the most of which was published posthumously, that was 
paid by a successor in the presidency, Ashbel Green, more 
than sixty years after Davies' death: " Probably there are 
no sermons in the English language which have been more 
read, or for which there has been so steady and unceasing 
a demand for more than half a century." Twenty years 
after this tribute was paid to them, a new edition was pub- 
lished in America and introduced to a new generation of 
readers by the Rev. Albert Barnes. 

Davies began his administration at the college com- 
mencement of 1759. His popularity in the Colonies in- 
creased the number of the students in attendance to nearly, 
if not quite, one hundred. The curriculum, so admirably 
organized during the presidency of Aaron Burr, as far as 
appears, was not altered or extended. Admission to the 



372 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

freshman class was granted on the same terms, except that 
the candidate was required to demonstrate his acquaintance 
with " Vulgar Arithmetic." The annual examinations of the 
classes were open to the public, and any " gentleman of 
education " present might question the students. The cus- 
tom of punishment by fines, which prevailed, was so far 
changed that the tutors were permitted to substitute other 
modes of correction less than suspension. The services of 
morning and evening prayers were varied; a chapter of 
Holy Scripture was to be read in the morning, a psalm or 
hymn to be sung in the evening, — customs which were ob- 
served until evening prayers were abolished during the 
administration of Dr. McCosh. One change in morning 
prayer made at this time had a much shorter life. It was 
resolved by the Trustees that the President and tutors might 
appoint a student to read a passage of Scripture " out of the 
original language." The catalogue of the college library 
was published, with a preface written by the President, in 
which he urged its increase "as the most ornamental and 
useful furniture of a college, and the most proper and valua- 
ble fund with which it can be endowed." The whole num- 
ber of volumes in the library was less than twelve hundred. 
" Few modern authors," writes President Davies, " adorn 
the shelves. This defect is most sensibly felt in the study 
of mathematics and the Newtonian philosophy, in which the 
students have but very imperfect helps either from books 
or from instruments." The question of the length of resi- 
dence necessary to secure the first degree in the arts was 
debated by the Trustees; and it was determined that "every 
student shall be obliged to reside in college at least two 
years before his graduation." 

The " Pennsylvania Gazette " contains an account of the 
commencement of 1760. The odes on Science and Peace, 
written by the President and sung by the students, and the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 373 

description of the orations of the graduating class, confirm 
the remark of Ashbel Green, that President Davies " turned 
the attention of his pupils to the cultivation of English com- 
position and eloquence." His effective oratory, we can 
easily understand, deeply impressed the students ; and the 
duty of preparing and delivering an oration each month, 
which he put upon each of the members of the senior class, 
was no doubt one of the causes of the establishment, a few 
years later, of the Well-meaning and Plain-dealing clubs, 
which, as the Cliosophic and American Whig societies, are 
in existence to-day. 

The brief administration of Davies abundantly justified 
his election to the presidency. Jeremiah Halsey, then 
tutor, writing soon after Davies' arrival in Princeton to begin 
his work, says of him: "He has a prodigious stock of 
popularity, — I think in this respect equal if not superior to 
the late President Burr. He has something very winning 
and amiable in his deportment, at the same time command- 
ing reverence and respect, so that he appears as likely to 
shine in this character as any one that could be thought of 
on this continent." He was indefatigable in labor, and he 
worked with an enthusiasm which rapidly broke down a 
constitution not strong at its best. In January, 1761, "he 
was seized with a bad cold," which refused to yield to reme- 
dies ; an inflammatory fever followed. He died February 
4, 1 76 1, when only thirty-seven years of age. He was 
President for only a year and a half. Heu quain exiguum 
vitce curriculum ! ^ 

Upon the death of Mr. Davies, the Board of Trustees had 
no difficulty in choosing a successor. A number of them at 
Davies' first election had cast their votes for Samuel Finley. 
Davies himself thought Finley better fitted than himself to 
perform the duties and bear the burdens of the office. A 

^ From the inscription on his monument in the cemetery. 



374 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

meeting of the trustees was called, to be held May 28, 1761; 
but a quorum not being in attendance, a second meeting was 
held three days later. At this meeting Mr. Finley was 
unanimously chosen. For ten years he had been an active 
member of the Board, and was perfectly conversant with the 
state of the College. He had acted as President pro tem- 
pore. Mr. Finley was not a man to postpone an answer to 
an election for the sake of appearances. He was exception- 
ally frank and direct in speech and action. We need not 
be surprised, therefore, that the minute which records his 
election contains the statement that "the said Mr. Finley, 
being informed of the above election, was pleased modestly 
to accept the same." How highly he was regarded by the 
friends of the College is evident from a letter written by 
the Rev. David Bostwick, who soon after became a trustee 
of the College, to the Rev. Mr. Bellamy, in March, 1761. 
Referring to the death of Davies and the need of a suc- 
cessor, he says: "Our eyes are on Mr. Finley, a very ac- 
curate scholar, and a very great and good man. Blessed 
be the Lord, that such an one is to be found." 

Samuel Finley was born in Ireland, in the county of 
Armagh, of a Scottish family, and was one of seven sons. 
Early in life he discovered both a taste for learning and 
fine powers of acquisition. The religious education which 
he obtained in the family determined his studies in the 
direction of theology, and he looked forward to the life of a 
minister, even before his family migrated to America when 
he was in his nineteenth year. He reached Philadelphia in 
September, 1734, and as soon as possible he continued his 
preparation for the ministry. The six years, which 'inter- 
vened between his arrival in 1734 and his license to preach 
on August 5, 1740, appear to have been passed in earnest 
study of the classics and divinity. At all events, the at- 
tainments for which he was distinguished, which gave to 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 375 

the Academy instituted by him its high and wide repu- 
tation, and which led to his invitation finally to become 
President of Nassau Hall, make it highly probable, that 
this period of his life was passed in earnest and continuous 
study, under the direction of one no less competent than 
William Tennent, and full of Tennent's evangelical spirit. 
He was licensed when the evangelical revival was exerting its 
widest influence. He threw himself into the work of that 
great, movement with enthusiasm, travelling widely and 
preaching with earnestness, particularly throughout the 
western part of New Jersey. For six months also he sup- 
plied the pulpit of the Second Presbyterian Church of 
Philadelphia, and was ordained by the Presbytery of New 
Brunswick in October, 1742. Of the several calls received 
by him he was disposed to accept one from Milford, Con- 
necticut. His Presbytery sent him there, permitting him to 
preach at other points, if the way should be open. A sec- 
ond religious society had been established at New Haven, 
but was not yet recognized by either the civil or the re- 
Hgious authorities. Mr. James Pierpont, a son of the 
Rev. James Pierpont, was interested in this new church, 
and invited Finley to preach before it. This was illegal ; 
and on September 5, as he was about to occupy the pul- 
pit, he was arrested and imprisoned. He was indicted by 
the Grand Jury, convicted of vagrancy, and sentenced to 
be exiled from the colony. The sentence was executed, 
and he was unable to induce the authorities to permit his re- 
turn. In June of the same year he accepted an invitation 
to become the pastor of the Presbyterian church in Not- 
tingham, Maryland ; where he remained for seventeen years. 
Mr. Ebenezer Hazard, sometime Postmaster-General of the 
United States, says of Dr. Finley : " He was remarkable for 
sweetness of temper and politeness of behaviour. He was 
given to hospitality; charitable without ostentation; exem- 



3T6 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

plary in discharge of his relative duties ; and in all things 
showing himself a pattern of good works. He was a Cal- 
vinist in sentiment. His sermons were not hasty productions, 
but filled with good sense and well-digested sentiment, ex- 
pressed in language pleasing to men of science, yet per- 
fectly intelligible by the illiterate. They were calculated to 
inform the ignorant, to alarm the careless and secure, and 
to edify and comfort the faithful." Such a man's pastorate 
would be likely to bear fruit in the quiet and continuous 
development of a high sentiment in the community. Before 
his pastorate he engaged in some religious disputes, and 
these are embodied in two sermons. Other discussions 
were carried on by him after his settlement; but his only 
publications are seven discourses, the last of which is a ser- 
mon on the life and character of his predecessor, Mr. Davies. 
He was above all a student, a teacher, and a faithful, intelli- 
gent and successful administrator of the two educational 
institutions with which he was officially connected. Not 
long after his settlement at Nottingham he began to gather 
about him pupils, following the example of William Tennent 
on the Neshaminy. No doubt he was led into this work 
by his sense of the need of ministers in the Presbyterian 
Church ; but his pupils were not all candidates for the sacred 
ministry. The names of some of the more distinguished 
of these pupils have already been mentioned in another 
connection. The success of Dr. Finley in the Nottingham 
Academy, and the impression made by his personality and 
his learning on his brethren of the ministry, led many of 
them early to think of him as a suitable candidate for the 
Presidency of Nassau Hall. He was President for five 
years. It was a period of quiet but rapid and healthful de- 
velopment. The number of students was increased. The 
curriculum was enriched. The success of the College is in- 
dicated by the fact, that during his administration the sal- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 377 

aries of the President and the Faculty were enlarged, and 
two tutors were added to the teaching force. To the gram- 
mar-school, founded by Burr, and taken under the govern- 
ment of the College during Burr's presidency, was added 
an English school, which the Trustees ordered " to be under 
the inspection and government of the President of the Col- 
lege for the time being." So large had the College become, 
that in 1765, at the last commencement held by Dr. Finley, 
thirty-one students were admitted to the first degree in the 
arts, and eleven others were made Masters. The President 
was the most important and laborious of the teachers. In- 
deed, we are told that it was his unremitted application to 
the duties of his office that impaired his health and brought 
about his death when only fifty-one years of age. The 
impression made by him on his students is well stated by 
one of them, the Rev. Dr. John Woodhull, of Monmouth. 
"His learning," says Dr. Woodhull, "was very extensive. 
Every branch of study taught in the College appeared to 
be familiar to him. Among other things, he taught Latin, 
Greek and Hebrew in the senior year. He was highly re- 
spected and greatly beloved by the students, and had very 
little difficulty in governing the College." Dr. Finley's was 
the last administration during which the instruction of the 
College was given by the President aided only by tutors. 
As yet there were no professorships. The earliest profes- 
sor named in the Triennial Catalogue is John Blair, who 
was elected the year succeeding Finley's death. During 
Finley's administration the number of tutors was increased 
by two. These were Samuel Blair, who, at the age of 
twenty-six, was called to the Presidency of the College, 
and the second Jonathan Edwards, only less distinguished 
than his father as a theologian, and for two years the Presi- 
dent of Union College. 

During the administration of Dr. Finley the freshman 



378 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

year was spent in the study of Latin and Greek, particularly 
in reading Horace, Cicero's "Orations," the Greek Testa- 
ment, Lucian's " Dialogues " and Xenophon's " Cyropaedia." 
In the sophomore year, the students read Homer, and 
studied Longinus, etc., geography, rhetoric, logic and math- 
ematics. The public exercises in oratory and disputation, 
in which Davies was so deeply interested, were increased in 
number and more highly organized by Finley. Both foren- 
sic and syllogistic disputations were held, the former always 
in the English, the latter often in the Latin language. Even 
Sundays gave the students no rest from intellectual activity, 
for disputations on a series of questions prepared on the 
principal subjects of natural and revealed religion were held 
before a promiscuous congregation. Once a month, orations 
of the students' own composition were pronounced before a 
public audience, and the students were continually exercised 
in English composition. The institution during this admin- 
istration was distinctively a college, not in any sense a uni- 
versity. The contact between the teacher and the student 
was frequent and intimate ; the latter was subjected to in- 
spection and to discipline, and his hours were carefully regu- 
lated. The relation between tutor and pupil was not unlike 
that subsisting in the colleges of the English universities. 
The students were distributed into the four classes which 
still exist, and the social distinctions between them, which 
in later years have been recognized by the students them- 
selves, in the days of Finley were determined by the Faculty. 
" In each of these classes," says the authorized account of 
the College, "the students continue one year, giving and 
receiving in their turns those tokens of respect and subjec- 
tion which belong to their standings in order to preserve a 
due subordination." The commencement exercises of the 
College were all announced, and many conducted, in the 
Latin language. They were elaborate and stately. The 
academic proprieties were carefully observed, and the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 379 

" mixed auditory " must have been impressed, if not edified, 
by the large use made of Latin. 

The period during which Dr. Finley was President was 
one of great pohtical excitement, in which the institution 
shared. In 1766 a committee of the Trustees was appointed 
to prepare an address to His Majesty " for his gracious 
condescension to these Colonies in the repeal of the Stamp 
Act." This address must not be taken to indicate a deep- 
seated loyalty on the part of the Trustees and the other 
members of the College. On the contrary, there are evi- 
dences in the official action of the institution that its loyalty 
to the mother country had been seriously weakened. In the 
address presented by the Trustees to the Governor of the 
Province in 1763, no mention is made of the government of 
Great Britain, and there are no protestations of loyalty to 
the King. There was a spirit within the institution, as well 
as abroad in the Colonies, preparing it for the administration 
of the "high son of liberty" who was to be Finley's suc- 
cessor. Meanwhile, the College was fortunate to have en- 
joyed for five years the direction of the clear and largely 
informed intelligence of Samuel Finley, and to have had 
infused into its life his own enthusiasm in behalf of religion 
and the higher learning. Simple in character, calm in tem- 
perament, devoted to books, and quiet in manner as Finley 
was, one might well have predicted that his administration 
would be a long one, and his life continue to the period of old 
age ; but his too abundant labors broke down his constitu- 
tion. He was attacked by an acute disease, and died in 
Philadelphia, after expressing his perfect resignation to the 
divine will, on July 17, 1766, in the fifty-first year of his age. 

VI. The Administration of John Witherspoon. 

The death of President Finley was felt by its friends to 
be a serious blow to the College. It was felt more keenly 



380 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

because the College had suffered so many times the loss of 
its President. In the one hundred and fifty years of its life 
it has had only twelve Presidents, but five of these were in 
their graves when the institution was only twenty years 
old. Soon after Dr. Finley's death the Board of Trustees 
unanimously elected the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, of 
Paisley, Scotland. Richard Stockton, a graduate of the 
College, a member of the Board, and afterwards, with Dr. 
Witherspoon, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 
was in England at the time ; and the Trustees requested 
him to visit Dr. Witherspoon and urge his acceptance. 
While awaiting his reply, negotiations were carried on for 
the admission into the Board of representatives of that por- 
tion of the now reunited Presbyterian Church which had 
taken no part in the establishment of the College, and which 
up to this time had shown little interest in its maintenance. 
As part of these negotiations it was voted to increase the 
Faculty by the election of several professors. One of the 
new professors, the Rev. John Blair,^ professor of Divinity 
and Morality, was chosen Vice-President until the next 
commencement. Dr. Hugh Williamson, of Philadelphia, 
was elected professor of Mathematics and Natural Philoso- 
phy, and Jonathan Edwards, then a tutor in the College and 
the son of the former President, professor of Languages 

^ John Blair was a native of Ireland, and was born in the year 1720. He 
was a younger brother of Samuel Blair, one of the first Trustees of the Col- 
lege. He was educated at the Log College. He was ordained in 1742, and 
became pastor of the Middle Spring Church in Cumberland County, Pennsyl- 
vania. In 1757 he went to Fagg's Manor, and became pastor, succeeding his 
brother in the pulpit and also as the principal of the classical school. He 
prepared many students for the ministry. After his resignation as professor 
of Divinity in Princeton College he was settled as pastor at Walkill, Orange 
County, New York, where he died Decembers, 1771. Dr. Archibald Alex- 
ander says of him, that " as a theologian he was not inferior to any man in 
the Presbyterian Church in his day." 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 381 

and Logic. News having reached the Trustees that With- 
erspoon had dechned, the Board elected the Rev. Samuel 
Blair, pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, to the 
presidency, and appointed him also professor of Rhetoric 
and Metaphysics. Blair's election was unanimous. He 
was the first graduate of the College elected to the office. 
He was only twenty-six years of age. He was the son of 
the Rev. Samuel Blair, of whom mention has already been 
made as the founder and principal of the Classical vSchool 
at Fagg's Manor, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He 
was graduated in 1760, and was tutor in the College from 
1 761 to 1764. No man in the Church at that time gave 
greater promise. He was successful as a student, as a 
teacher, and as a preacher ; but, more than all, he impressed 
men by the beauty and strength of his character. His 
magnanimity had now given to it a signal opportunity for 
exercise. He was anxious to accept the position to which 
he had been chosen with cordiality. He had every reason 
to trust himself in the office ; but, like the Trustees, he 
was convinced that no one else could so well occupy the 
position as Witherspoon, if only he could be induced to ac- 
cept it. Therefore he placed his declinature in the hands 
of a member of the Board, to be presented if it seemed pos- 
sible to secure Witherspoon, and urged on the Trustees the 
policy of endeavoring to induce Witherspoon to reopen the 
question of removing to America. This policy was suc- 
cessful. Witherspoon expressed his willingness to come if 
he should be reelected. Blair's declinature was accepted, 
and Witherspoon became the sixth President of the 
College. 

John Witherspoon was at this time forty-five years of 
age. He had already had an influential career in the 
Church of Scotland. He was the son of a minister, and 
came from a ministerial ancestry. His father was an able 



382 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

and faithful pastor, and through his mother he was de- 
scended from John Knox. When fourteen years of age he 
entered the University of Edinburgh, and after a course of 
seven years became a Hcentiate. Both his college and 
theological courses gave promise of distinction. "At the 
divinity hall he stood unrivalled for perspicuity of style, 
logical accuracy of thought and taste in Sacred Criticism." 
In 1744 he was presented by the Earl of Eglinton with the 
living of Beith in West Scotland. There he remained for 
between twelve and thirteen years. He not only was suc- 
cessful as a parish minister, but he appeared before the 
public as an author. His first volume gave him national 
fame. It was entitled " Ecclesiastical Characteristics ; or. 
The Arcana of Church Policy." It was written at the time 
when the Moderate party was dominant in the Church, and 
it satirized sharply but without ill nature the principles and 
the conduct of the Moderates. The wide difference be- 
tween the platform of the party and the symbolical plat- 
form of the Church offered the satirist a fine opportunity. 
Witherspoon admirably improved it. His work was widely 
read, exerted a good deal of influence and increased his 
popularity. In ten years five editions were published. 
Soon after the publication of the first edition, which did not 
bear the name of the author, he published "A Serious 
Apology" for the satire and confessed himself its author. 
Not long after he published two " Essays in Theology," 
on justification and regeneration, which made him known 
as a theologian of ability. The essays embodied and de- 
fended evangelical and Calvinistic views. His ministry at 
Paisley was quite as successful as that at Beith. Several 
of his discourses were published, and the University of 
Aberdeen, in 1764, gave him the degree of Doctor of Di- 
vinity. At the time of his call to the presidency of the Col- 
lege, he was in reputation behind no man in the Evangeli- 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 383 

cal party of the Church of Scotland, and was, perhaps, 
better able than any other to debate in the Assembly with 
the leaders of the Moderate party, like Blair and Campbell 
and Robertson. 

When Witherspoon came to America the Colonies and 
the British Government were quarrelling. In 1764 the 
Stamp Act was passed. The colonists arose in alarm and 
anger and protested against it. Two years later the Act 
was repealed. But the fact that it had been passed, and the 
declaration accompanying the repeal, — namely, that Parlia- 
ment possessed the right to tax the Colonies in all cases 
whatsoever, — left in the minds of the colonists a feeling 
which Lord Shelburne afterwards described as "an unfor- 
tunate jealousy and distrust of the English Government." 
Already this feeling had been manifested in the public ex- 
ercises at Princeton College. On more than one occasion 
the College orators had been enthusiastically applauded 
when unfolding the blessings of political liberty ; and after 
the passage of the Stamp Act, except in the vote of the 
Trustees expressing their gratitude to the King for its re- 
peal, there is no evidence that in any academic function the 
union between the Colonies and the mother country was 
mentioned with gratitude or pride. This silence was in 
marked contrast with the custom of the College in earlier 
days, when the greatness of the British Empire was a favor- 
ite theme for college oratory. A few years earlier than the 
date of Witherspoon's arrival, there had been formed in the 
College two literary societies called the Well-meaning and 
Plain-dealing clubs, out of which afterwards grew the Clio- 
sophic and American Whig societies. In these clubs the 
enmity to the home government found frequent and at 
times violent expression. The College, the province in 
which it had its home, and the provinces on each side of 
it, while not so active as Massachusetts or Virginia, were 



384 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

in sympathy with the population of those energetic and 
forward Colonies. They rejoiced in the meeting of the first 
Continental Congress in New York in October, 1765, and 
in the declaration of that Congress: " That the only repre- 
sentatives of the people of these Colonies are persons chosen 
therein by themselves, and that no taxes ever have been or 
can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their re- 
spective legislatures." 

Witherspoon, with his family, sailed from London in May, 
1768, and landed at Philadelphia on the sixth of the follow- 
ing August. He was inaugurated on the seventeenth of 
the same month, and delivered a Latin inaugural address, on 
the Union of Piety and Science. He soon showed himself 
to be an American in feeling, and soon found in the Ameri- 
can cause ample opportunity for the exercise of his best 
gifts. It is not only true, as Dr. Maclean says, that "from 
the beginning of the controversies which led to the War of 
Independence and to the severance of the Thirteen United 
Colonies from their allegiance to the British Crown, Dr. 
Witherspoon openly and boldly took the part of his adopted 
country"; it is also true that he brought to this work 
political talents of the very highest order, and personal 
traits which made his migration to the country an inestima- 
ble blessing to the struggling colonists. He was bold and 
influential as an agitator ; active with both his pen and his 
voice ; one of the foremost of the party of action ; not only 
ready for a declaration of independence, but earnest in his 
advocacy of it. He never lost hope or courage in the 
darkest days of the war; and he was wise and active in 
both State and Church in the constructive period which 
followed the final victory. Called as a minister to the presi- 
dency of a Christian college, he is best and most widely 
known as a great patriot and statesman ; and he must 
always occupy in history a high place among those few great 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 385 

characters like Ambrose of Milan and his own ancestor, 
John Knox, who have been great in both Church and State. 
The high reputation of Witherspoon at once lifted the 
College into a position of prominence which it had never 
before occupied. The endowment of the College first en- 
gaged his activities. The pecuniary embarrassment of the 
institution was so great that the professor of Divinity, the 
Rev. John Blair, offered his resignation and it was accepted. 
Dr. Witherspoon found himself compelled to go upon a beg- 
ging expedition into New England, from which he returned 
with subscriptions for one thousand pounds in proclamation 
money ; and this was only the first of several journeys on 
the same errand. He was an earnest and laborious teacher. 
He took the place of Mr. Blair as a professor of Divinity. 
He was most popular and influential as a teacher when in- 
structing his pupils in Mental and Moral Philosophy. In 
addition to his lectures in Divinity and Ethics, " he delivered 
lectures to the Juniors and Seniors on Chronology and 
History, and on Composition and Criticism ; and he taught 
Hebrew and French to those who wished it." Mr. Rives, 
the biographer of Madison, Witherspoon's most eminent 
pupil, and Ashbel Green, another of his students, call at- 
tention to the emphasis placed by Witherspoon on studies 
on the constitution of the human mind and on fundamental 
truth. Dr. McCosh says that Witherspoon was a man of 
action rather than reflection ; and this judgment is correct. 
Nevertheless, it is probable that no contemporary teacher in 
America was more successful in impressing upon the minds 
of his students the great features of the system of philosophy 
he expounded and defended. When one reflects upon the 
deep impression made by him on the intellectual life of 
those who sat in his lecture-room, and who afterwards be- 
came eminent, he is ready to believe that no professor in 
an American college has won greater triumphs as a teacher. 



386 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

If Witherspoon's strong personality made him an uncom- 
promising college ruler, he only followed the advice which 
he gave to the tutors, namely: "Maintain the authority of 
the laws in their full extent, and fear no consequences." At 
the same time, so inspiriting and stimulating were the man 
and his lectures that the rigor of his rule is not often men- 
tioned by his pupils. Ashbel Green and Stanhope Smith 
and James Madison were won by him ; their energies were 
called out, and their powers genially disciplined. 

The plans which Witherspoon and the Trustees had 
formed for the enlargement of the institution were largely 
frustrated by the political events then occurring in the 
country. But the college curriculum was extended ; the 
teaching force was increased ; ^ endowments were secured ; 

^ One of the professors during his administration was WiUiam Churchill 
Houston, who was born in North Carolina in 1740. He came to Princeton 
and taught in the grammar-school. He afterwards entered the College and 
was graduated in 1768. He was at once appointed a tutor. In 1771 he was 
elected professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. When the War of 
the Revolution began, he entered the army and was for some months a captain. 
He resigned and resumed his work as professor. But, like Dr. Witherspoon, 
he was elected to office, first as a member of the General Assembly of New 
Jersey, then as a member of the Council of Safety, and in 1779 as a member 
of Congress. He resigned his professorship in 1783 and was admitted to the 
bar. In 1784 he was again elected to Congress, and was a delegate to the 
Convention at AnnapoHs in 1786. He died in 1788. 

Another of the professors elected during Witherspoon's administration was 
Walter Minto, who was born in Cowdenham, Scotland, December 5, 1753. 
At fifteen years of age he entered the University of Edinburgh ; " after com- 
pleting his preparatory studies he turned his attention to Theology, rather, it 
would appear from subsequent events, to meet the expectations of friends than 
from his own unbiased choice." During this period he devoted quite as much 
time to literature as to divinity, and became a frequent contributor to a peri- 
odical called " The Gentleman and Lady's Magazine " and published in 
Edinburgh. He visited Italy, having in charge as tutor two sons of the Hon. 
George Johnstone, formerly Governor of West Florida and member of the 
British Parliament. On his return he resided in Edinburgh as a teacher in 
mathematics. " His reputation as a man of science appears to have been 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 387 

a larger body of students than ever before were under the 
instruction of the Faculty, and they were drawn from a 
wider area. During his administration the largest class 
which was graduated in the eighteenth century received 
their degrees, but it is also true that during his administra- 
tion the smallest class was graduated. This was not the 
fault of the President. The position of Princeton on the 
highway between New York and Philadelphia made it a 
perilous place during the earlier years of the War of Inde- 
pendence. A critical battle of the war was fought within 
the limits of the village. The college campus was the 
scene of active hostilities. Nassau Hall itself was employed 
as barracks, and cannon-balls mutilated its walls. There are 
few memorials in Princeton more highly valued to-day than 
the two cannons now standing in the campus, both of which 
were used in the War of the Revolution, and left after the 
battle of Princeton near the College. 

Mention has already been made of the Cliosophic and 
American Whig societies, the two literary societies of the 
College, which have been in existence from the date of their 

considerable, arising probably from his correspondence with the philosophers 
of Great Britain, and several minor publications on the subject of Astronomy." 
In connection with the Earl of Buchan, he wrote the life of Napier of Mer- 
chiston, the inventor of logarithms ; the Earl writing the biographical portion, 
and Minto the scientific portion, including a vindication of Napier's claims to 
the original invention. He sailed for America in 1786, and became principal 
of Erasmus Hall, a school at Flatbush, Long Island. In 1787 he was called 
to the professorship of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Princeton Col- 
lege as the successor of Ashbel Green. " Of his colleagues and pupils Dr. 
Minto enjoyed the confidence in an unusual degree." He was the treasurer 
of the corporation. He received continual applications from parents to 
receive their sons beneath his roof on account of the advantages which they 
supposed would be enjoyed within the Hmits of his domestic circle. The text- 
books in mathematics which his pupils used were prepared by himself He 
died in Princeton, October 21, 1796. — Abridged from the "Princeton 
Magazine," Vol. I, No. i. 



388 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

foundation to the present time. These societies had their 
beginning in two debating clubs. The earHer name of the 
American Whig Society was the Plain-deahng Club ; that 
of the Cliosophic Society, the Well-meaning Club. These 
earlier societies appear to have been organized during the 
excitement caused by the passage of the Stamp Act. In 
both of them the patriotism of the College found expression ; 
but out of their rivalry there grew serious disturbances. 
These led the Faculty, in 1768, to forbid their meetings. 
The societies were soon revived under different names ; the 
Plain-dealing adopting a name indicating the political views 
of its members, the Well-meaning one expressive of its lit- 
erary aims. But politics was not the exclusive interest in 
the one, nor was literature in the other. One word in the 
motto of the Whig Society is literce ; and the founders of 
Clio Hall were quit;e as much in sympathy as those of the 
Whig with the aims and struggles of the Colonists. The 
College itself does not possess a more distinguished list of 
founders than does each of these societies. William Pater- 
son, Luther Martin, Oliver Ellsworth and Tapping Reeve 
laid the foundations of Clio Hall, and James Madison, John 
Henry and Samuel Stanhope Smith revived the Plain- 
dealing Club under the name of the American Whig So- 
ciety. The interior life of these institutions is not open to 
the public. Their members have pursued the aims of the 
society in essay and oration and debate with the freedom 
which belongs to sessions held in camera. Their judges 
have been their peers. The Faculty of the College during 
all their life have accorded to them great freedom, and 
have interposed only when the violence of youthful feelings 
seemed likely to injure, if not to destroy, the societies them- 
selves. Fortunately, crises of this kind have been very few. 
The sense of independence and responsibility has given to 
the societies dignity, and they have earned the tribute paid 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 389 

in later years by President McCosh, that "no department 
of the College has conferred greater benefit upon the students 
than have Whig and Clio Halls." 

Perhaps, at no later period in their history have they been 
more useful than they were during the administration of 
John Witherspoon. Life, during the periods immediately 
preceding the Revolutionary War and immediately suc- 
ceeding it while the Constitution was being formed and 
adopted, was intense. During the first period the question 
of the maintenance of independence was agitating every 
man ; and, during the second, the problem of the new gov- 
ernment which was to unite the victorious Colonies offered 
itself for solution to every thoughtful mind. It is an in- 
teresting fact that the two plans of constitutional government 
for the United States, which were debated at length in the 
Convention that formed the Constitution, were presented 
to that body by two of the founders of these literary socie- 
ties. The one which laid the greater stress on the rights 
of the individual States was presented by William Paterson 
of New Jersey ; the other, which contemplated a stronger 
federal government, was proposed by James Madison of 
Virginia. During the war the societies, with the College, 
suffered greatly; but when the war ended they were revived. 
Originally, each society had a patronage dependent upon 
the sections from which its members came. Ashbel Green, 
who was active in reviving the American Whig Society 
after the war, says that at the time of this revival " the sec- 
tional patronage was entirely done away." Princeton's 
interest and Witherspoon's labor in the cause of the Colo- 
nies against the mother country received at the close of the 
war what the sons of Princeton have always interpreted as 
an honorable recognition. When the soldiers of the army 
mutinied and surrounded the State House in Philadelphia, 
where the Continental Congress was sitting, Princeton was 



390 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

selected as the temporary capital of the United States. 
For several months the Congress held its sittings in the 
Library Room of Nassau Hall, and the rooms of the stu- 
dents were used by committees. At the commencement of 
1783 "we had," says Ashbel Green, "on the stage with the 
Trustees and the graduating class, the whole of the Congress, 
the Ministers of France and Holland, and George Wash- 
ington, the Commander-in-chief of the American army." 
Washington contributed for the uses of the College fifty 
guineas, which the Trustees employed to procure the por- 
trait of him, painted by the elder Peale, which now hangs 
in the portion of Nassau Hall in which the Congress sat. 
Writing in 1842, Dr. Green says: " The picture now occu- 
pies the place, and it is affirmed the very frame, that 
contained the picture of George the Second, which was 
decapitated by Washington's artillery." 

At the close of Dr. Witherspoon's administration in 1794, 
the College had been in existence nearly half a century. 
In the careers of those whom an institution has trained, 
after all, is to be found its title to honor or condemnation. 
The general catalogue of no collegiate institution, for the 
first fifty years of its existence, presents a more remarkable 
series of great names in Church and State. The clerical, 
medical and legal professions are represented by influential 
and illustrious names. The cause of the higher education 
is represented by great teachers and administrators. To the 
Continental Congress and to the Continental army the Col- 
lege gave eminent and patriotic members and officers. The 
graduates of no other college were so numerous or so influ- 
ential in the Constitutional Convention. Its alumni of this 
period were to be found in the two Houses of Congress, in 
the Legislatures of the different States, and in the chairs of 
Governors, in the seat of the Chief Justice, in the courts 
of the various States, in the Cabinets of Presidents, and as 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 391 

envoys of the Republic at foreign capitals. Of the earlier 
administrations, the administration of Witherspoon is the 
most illustrious if judged by the brilliant careers of its 
students. It was given to no other man in the eighteenth 
century to take the most prominent part in the education of 
thirteen presidents of colleges. During his presidency 
there were graduated six men who afterwards became 
delegates to the Continental Congress, twenty men who 
represented their respective commonwealths in the Senate 
of the United States, and twenty-four who sat as members 
of the House of Representatives. Thirteen were Governors 
of Commonwealths, three were Judges of the Supreme 
Court, one was Vice-President, and one was President of 
the United States. Upon the characters of most of these 
Witherspoon set his mark. They were imbued with his 
views in philosophy and morals. His high and profound 
religious character gave tone to their lives ; and his patri- 
otism wrought in them as an inspiration. If the greatness of 
a man is to be measured by the influence he has exerted on 
other minds, John Witherspoon must be remembered as one 
of the foremost men of the Republic during its heroic period. 
The close of his administration was but little in advance of 
the close of his life. He was able to preside at the annual 
commencement on the twenty-third of September, 1794, and 
less than eight weeks afterwards, on the fifteenth of Novem- 
ber, veneratus, dilectus, lugendus omnibus} he passed to his 
reward. 

VII. The Administrations of Samuel Stanhope 
Smith and Ashbel Green. 

Up to the close of Dr. Witherspoon's presidency, the 
College during each administration derived its special traits 

^ From the inscription on his tombstone. 



392 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

almost wholly from the President. He determined its cur- 
riculum ; he exercised its discipline in all serious cases ; he 
begged money for its maintenance ; he led its religious life ; 
he taught several branches of learning to the members of 
the higher classes. The distance at which many of the Trus- 
tees lived, and the difficulties of travel, prevented frequent 
meetings of the Board, and threw on him responsibilities 
in number and variety far beyond those now devolved on 
college presidents. The Faculty of Instruction was made 
up of himself and two or three tutors. The latter, by the 
constitution of the College, were so completely under his 
direction as scarcely to deserve the name of colleagues. 
The relation between the President and the students was 
immediate and close. He stood to them in loco parentis ; 
and they felt at liberty to go to him at all times for advice 
and for aid. 

Princeton was fortunate in its Presidents. Each was fitted 
by his character and prepared by his previous career for 
the conduct of an office of this character. All had been 
pastors. In obedience to what he believed to be a divine 
vocation, each in early manhood had undertaken the cure 
of souls. Some of them had successfully conducted private 
schools, and all had had their religious affections warmed 
by the Evangelical Revival. If some of the readers of this 
historical sketch should be disposed to criticise it because 
so much attention has been given to the Presidents, the 
answer is obvious : the life of the College was determined 
and directed almost wholly by the President for the time 
being. To send a student to Princeton was to commit him 
to Samuel Davies, or Samuel Finley, or John Witherspoon, 
for the formation of his character, for the discipline of his 
faculties, and in some measure for the direction of his sub- 
sequent life. 

The death of Witherspoon is the point in the life of the 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 393 

College at which the President loses much of his relative 
prominence. Up to this point the Chief Executive gives 
character to the institution ; from this point onward the in- 
stitution has a life of its own. Of course, the President is 
always the great figure in a college. But the Presidents of 
Princeton after Witherspoon are far less prominent than the 
institution, and the success of their administrations is due to 
the exaltation of the College at the expense of activities to 
which their gifts would otherwise have impelled them. Jon- 
athan Edwards expected to find in the presidency of the 
Princeton College of his day an opportunity for literary ac- 
tivity, and planned to compose here a great Philosophy of 
History with the title, " The History of Redemption" ; but 
James McCosh, though always industrious as a writer, found 
the administrative duties of his position so various and so 
commanding as absolutely to forbid the composition of vol- 
umes like those which had given him distinction before he 
came to America. 

On the sixth day of May, 1795, the Trustees unanimously 
elected Dr. Samuel Stanhope Smith Dr. Witherspoon's suc- 
cessor. Dr. Smith had been Vice-President since 1789, and 
from that time on had relieved the President of many of 
the burdens of his office. He accepted at once, appeared 
before the Board, and took the oath of office. His in- 
auguration was postponed until the next commencement, 
the thirtieth of September following, when he delivered an 
inaugural address in the Latin language. For the first 
time, the salary of the President was designated in the coin- 
age of the United States. It was fixed at fifteen hundred 
dollars a year, with the usual perquisites. 

The new President was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
the son of the pastor of the Presbyterian church of Pequea. 
His mother was a sister of Samuel Blair, the head of the 
Academy at Fagg's Manor. He was the first alumnus of 



394 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the College to fill the presidency. He was graduated in 
1769, and as the first scholar of his class pronounced the 
Latin salutatory. A year after his graduation, when twenty- 
one years of age, he returned to Princeton as tutor in the 
College, and for the purpose of reading Divinity under Dr. 
Witherspoon. His special duties as tutor were to give in- 
struction in the classics and in belles-lettres. Here he re- 
mained until 1773, when he went to Virginia as a mis- 
sionary. The interest awakened by his preaching was deep 
and wide-spread. "Throughout the Middle and Southern 
States," says Dr. Philip Lindsley, "he was regarded as a 
most eloquent and learned Divine by his contemporaries." 
It was the impression made by him as a preacher and a 
man of culture that led to his call as the first President of 
Hampden Sidney College. Here he labored as President 
three or four years. The state of his health compelled him 
to resign. In 1779 he was invited to become Professor of 
Moral Philosophy at Princeton, and though strongly at- 
tached to the work in which he had been engaged in Vir- 
ginia, he accepted, and from this time on labored for his 
Alma Mater. He came only two years after the battle of 
Princeton. Dr. Witherspoon was a member of Congress, 
and a large amount of administrative work fell on Professor 
Smith. This work was done under most difficult conditions, 
for he was never strong ; and on several occasions he was 
prostrated by hemorrhages like those which compelled him to 
retire from Hampden Sidney. Yet he neglected no work ; 
and his learning obtained recognition from the two older 
colleges of New England and from learned societies. In 
the year 1785 he was made an honorary member of the 
American Philosophical Society, and delivered its anniver- 
sary oration — an address intended to establish the unity of 
the species. In 1786 he was engaged, with other eminent 
ministers of the Church with which he was connected, in 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 395 

preparing its form of government with a view to organizing 
the General Assembly. 

Dr. Smith was anxious to extend the course of instruc- 
tion and to enlarge the teaching body. Besides himself, 
at the time of his accession to the presidency, Dr. Minto 
was the only professor. Dr. Smith established a Profes- 
sorship of Chemistry the year of his accession to the presi- 
dency. The first occupant of the chair was John Maclean, 
a native of Glasgow and a graduate of its University. 
When he had completed his medical course, he gave spe- 
cial attention to chemistry, studying at Edinburgh, London 
and Paris. While at Paris he adopted new theories, not 
only in chemistry, but in government. He became a re- 
publican and emigrated to the United States. Dr. Ben- 
jamin Rush, of Philadelphia, to whom he brought letters, 
recommended him to settle in Princeton and practise his 
profession. Dr. Rush, at the same time, recommended the 
College to secure his services as a lecturer in chemistry. 
The lectures made a profound impression. In 1795 he was 
elected to the first chair of Chemistry established in any 
college in the United States. It was through Dr. Maclean 
that Princeton College was enabled to perform a valuable 
service for Yale College. Benjamin Silliman, the first Pro- 
fessor of Chemistry in Yale College, writes as follows in his 
diary: " Brief residence in Princeton. At this celebrated 
seat of learning an eminent gentleman. Dr. John Maclean, 
resided as Professor of Chemistry, etc. I early obtained an 
introduction to him by correspondence, and he favored me 
with a list of books for the promotion of my studies. I also 
passed a few days with Dr. Maclean in my difTerent transits 
to and from Philadelphia, obtained from him a general in- 
sight into my future occupation, inspected his library and 
apparatus, and obtained his advice respecting many things. 
Dr. Maclean was a man of brilliant mind, with all the acu- 



396 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

men of his native Scotland, and a sparkling wit gave variety 
to his conversation. I regard him as my earliest master of 
chemistry, and Princeton as my first starting-point in that 
pursuit, although I had not an opportunity to attend any 
lectures there." All accounts of Professor Maclean show 
that the admiration expressed for him by Dr. Silliman was 
general. Archibald Alexander visited Princeton in 1801, 
and wrote of him as one of the most popular professors who 
ever graced the College. " He is at home," says Dr. 
Alexander, "almost equally in all branches of science. 
Chemistry, natural history, mathematics and natural philos- 
ophy successively claim his attention." For a period of 
seventeen years he was professor in Princeton College. 
In 1812, owing to his impaired health, and believing that a 
milder climate would restore it, he resigned and accepted 
the chair of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry at William 
and Mary ; but before the first college year closed, illness 
compelled him to resign. He returned to Princeton, and 
died in 1814. 

The funds of the College and its buildings suffered 
greatly during the War of the Revolution. Its library was 
scattered, and its philosophical apparatus almost entirely 
destroyed. The Trustees appealed to the State of New 
Jersey for aid, and the State granted six hundred pounds 
proclamation money a year, for a period of three years ; the 
use of the money being limited to the repair of the College 
buildings, the restoration of the College library, and the 
repair and purchase of philosophical apparatus. This appro- 
priation was intended simply to make good losses which the 
College had suffered as a consequence of the war ; and if 
the influence exerted by the College on behalf of the inde- 
pendence of the Colony is considered, it must be regarded 
rather as the payment of a debt than as a gift. 

Dr. Minto, the Professor of Mathematics and Natural 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 397 

Philosophy, died in 1796. The College was too poor to fill 
his place with another professor, and the work of his chair 
was taken by Professor Maclean. The reputation which 
Professor Maclean gave to the College led to applications 
on the part of students who desired to pursue only the scien- 
tific part of the college curriculum. These applications 
were granted by the Board, and a resolution was passed 
not only that they should be permitted to read on scientific 
subjects only, but also that they should receive certificates 
of their proficiency, to be publicly delivered to them on the 
day of commencement, the College reserving to itself the 
privilege of bestowing honorary degrees on those who had 
highly distinguished themselves in science in this or other 
colleges. 

As though the College had not been sufficiently disciplined 
by its poverty and the calamities incident to the War of 
Independence, Nassau Hall, March 6, 1802, except the outer 
walls, was destroyed by fire. This was the second destruc- 
tion of the library and a large part of the philosophical ap- 
paratus. The Trustees met on the sixteenth, and at once 
determined to rebuild upon the original plan of the College, 
making, however, a few alterations, partly with a view to 
security from fire, and partly to increase the room devoted to 
instruction and philosophical apparatus. An address was 
issued to the people of the United States, reciting the design 
and the history of the College, and appealing to the friends of 
religion, of science, and of civil liberty for contributions for 
the rebuilding of the hall and the endowment of the institu- 
tion. Forty thousand dollars were subscribed. This sum 
was far from enough to put the institution in the condition in 
which it was before the fire. A special address was therefore 
sent to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
asking that speedy and liberal contributions be made in all 
the churches subject to the Assembly's care. So successful 



398 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

were the labors of the board and of the President to increase 
the funds of the institution, that they not only rebuilt Nassau 
Hall, but added two new buildings — the Philosophical Hall, 
which stood upon the site of the John C. Green Library, and 
a building for sophomore and freshmen recitation rooms 
and the library, the building now used for the College 
Offices. South of the latter building, where Reunion Hall now 
stands, was built a dwelling-house for the Professor of Lan- 
guages, which was occupied until it was taken down in 1870. 
Not long before this, immediately in front of the Green 
Library, and on a line with the President's (now the Dean's) 
house, had already been built a dwelling-house for the Pro- 
fessor of Mathematics and Philosophy. On the highest floor 
of the building now known as the College Offices two rooms 
were set apart for the Cliosophic and American Whig socie- 
ties. In all this work Dr. Smith took the lead ; and, a large 
part of his time being taken up in travelling and soliciting 
funds, the Rev. Ashbel Green, a trustee of the College and 
pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, 
acted as President during his absence. The success attending 
the efforts to rebuild Nassau Hall and to add the buildings 
already mentioned encouraged the Trustees to increase the 
number of professors. The College was growing so rapidly 
in numbers that it was necessary to relieve the President of 
a part of his duties. Meanwhile Dr. Maclean was feeling 
greatly the burden of teaching Mathematics in addition to 
Chemistry and Natural Philosophy. In 1802 the chair of 
Languages was founded, and William Thompson ^ was 

^William Thompson, in 1802, was called from Dickinson College, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he had been Professor of Languages, to the chair with the same 
title in Princeton. Dr. Maclean (" Hist.," Vol. II, p. 45) says of him : " He 
had the reputation of being an accurate scholar, a good teacher and an ex- 
cellent man. He was advanced in life when he became professor in Princeton 
College, and after a few years, his mind giving way under the pressure of 
arduous duties, he was constrained to give up his position, and died not long 
after." 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 399 

chosen its professor. In 1803 Dr. Henry Kollock/ a grad- 
uate of the class of 1794, was made Professor of Theology, 
and Andrew Hunter, also an alumnus, was made Professor 
of Mathematics and Astronomy. 

A report from the Faculty to the Board describes in great 
detail the curriculum, of which Dr. Maclean justly says 
that no one, after reading it, can fail to see that the labors 
of the President, professors and tutors must have been 
extremely arduous, that the course of instruction was liberal, 
and that in many respects it would compare favorably 
with that of the College at a much later date. So rapidly 
did the number of students increase, that in 1805 it was 
proposed to erect an additional building. It was thought 
that a gentleman interested in scientific pursuits would aid 
the College in this matter; but his offer was withdrawn, 
with the result that seventy students were compelled to room 
elsewhere than in Nassau Hall. How rapid this increase 
was may be inferred from the fact that in 1806 fifty-four 
members of the senior class were admitted to the first degree 
in the arts. At no previous period in its history had the 
College attained an equal degree of prosperity and reputa- 

^ Henry KoUock was born at New Providence, New Jersey, December 14, 
1778, and was graduated at Princeton, 1794. In 1794 he was appointed 
tutor, with John Henry Hobart, afterward Protestant Episcopal Bishop of 
New York, who says of Kollock : " Although he is a Democrat and Calvinist, 
he is the most intelligent, gentlemanly and agreeable companion I have ever 
found." He pursued his theological studies without a preceptor, and "made 
considerable proficiency," says Dr. Carnahan, " in Hebrew, Chaldee and 
Arabic." His teachers in Theology were the great English theologians, 
Anglican and Puritan. He was licensed to preach in 1800, and soon after 
became pastor of the church of Elizabethtown. In 1803 he returned to 
Princeton as pastor and professor of Theology. In 1806 he accepted a call 
from the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah. He died Decem- 
ber 29, 1 8 19. Dr. Carnahan, Bishop Capers, of the Methodist Church, and 
the Hon. John M. Berrien, of Georgia, all speak of him as a man of great 
eloquence, charming in society, and exceptionally faithful and acceptable 
as a Christian pastor. — Vide Sprague's "Annals," Vol. IV, pp. 263 et seq. 



400 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

tion. The Faculty consisted of a President, four professors, 
three tutors, and an instructor in French, and the number of 
students had risen to two hundred. Indeed, the number 
of students was almost too large for the Faculty. Disturb- 
ances occurred which compelled that body to invoke in their 
behalf the authority of the Trustees. Commencement day 
was regarded as a public holiday for the population of the 
entire district in which the College was situated. It furnished 
an occasion for other than academic sport. " Eating and 
drinking," says Dr. Maclean, " fiddling and dancing, playing 
for pennies, and testing the speed of their horses, were the 
amusements in which no small numbers of those assembled 
on such occasions were wont to indulge. And, when a lad, 
the writer once witnessed a bull-baiting on the College 
grounds while the exercises were going on in the Church." 
Just because of the College's prosperity, discipline was 
difficult to exercise ; but, on the whole, the internal life of the 
institution was sound, and had the Trustees not interfered 
with the Faculty, it is probable that the difficulties arising 
from time to time between the students and their instructors 
would have been more easily composed. 

In 1810 and 1811 conferences were held between a com- 
mittee of the Trustees and a committee of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, on the subject of 
establishing a theological seminary for that Church. The 
intimate relations between the College and the General As- 
sembly, the large support that the College had received 
from Presbyterians, and the benefits which in return it had 
conferred upon that communion, led both the Trustees 
of the College and the Committee of the General Assembly 
to consider seriously the question of affiliating the Theologi- 
cal Institution so closely with the College as to make the 
two institutions one. This plan was soon abandoned. But 
the Trustees and the Committee concurred in the belief 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 401 

that the Seminary might well find its home near to the 
College; and an agreement was made by which the Trus- 
tees engaged not to appoint a professor of theology in the 
College should the Seminary be permanently established at 
Princeton. The College retained its freedom, and the 
Seminary was established as an institution of the General 
Assembly, beginning its life in 1812. While the immediate 
effect of the establishment of this new institution was, as 
Dr. Maclean has said, to bar for many years all collection 
of funds for the improvement of the College, both derived 
substantial advantages from their establishment in the same 
town, and from their warm friendship. 

Dr. Smith resigned in 18 12. He lived seven years after 
his retirement. He revised and published some of his 
works. He died on August 21, 18 19, in the seventieth 
year of his age. The graduates of the College during his 
administration did not, as a class, gain the distinction 
reached by those graduated under his predecessor ; but the 
list includes a Vice-President of the United States, two 
Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate, nine 
United States senators, twenty-five members of the House 
of Representatives, four members of the President's Cabi- 
net, five ministers to foreign courts, eight Governors of 
States, thirty-four judges and chancellors, and twenty-one 
presidents or professors of colleges. 

Dr. Ashbel Green's administration of the College, soon 
after the burning of Nassau Hall, in 1802, was so success- 
ful, that upon Dr. Smith's resignation he was unanimously 
chosen the President. When elected he was a trustee. He 
was an alumnus. His father, the Rev. Jacob Green, a 
graduate of Harvard, was one of the trustees named by 
Governor Belcher in the second charter ; his grandfather, 
the Rev. John Pierson, a graduate of Yale, was one of the 
promoters of the College and a trustee under the first char- 



402 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

ter ; and his great-grandfather, Abraham Pierson, a graduate 
of Harvard, was one of the founders of Yale, and its first 
president or rector. His father had acted as President of 
the College, with the title of Vice-President, during the 
period intervening between the death of Jonathan Edwards 
and the election of Samuel Davies. Ashbel Green was 
born at Hanover, in Morris County, New Jersey, in 1762. 
He was graduated at the College in 1793, and delivered the 
valedictory oration. Immediately after graduation he was 
appointed tutor, and two years afterwards was elected Pro- 
fessor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. After hold- 
ing his professorship for a year and a half, he accepted 
a call from the Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. 
In this position he had from the beginning an eminent 
career. His fine presence, courtly manners and prominent 
family connections made him an eminent citizen of Phila- 
delphia. As Philadelphia at that time was the national 
capital, he was brought into intimate contact with some of 
the most eminent men of the country. His autobiography 
is one of the interesting personal records of the period. He 
had scarcely been settled in Philadelphia when the work of 
reorganizing the Presbyterian Church for the now inde- 
pendent United States was begun. This work was con- 
temporaneous with the formation of the Constitution of the 
country. Young as he was, no minister of the Church — not 
even Dr. Witherspoon — was more influential in this impor- 
tant and difficult work. From the first he was in favor of 
the separation of Church and State, and strongly advised 
those changes in the Scotch Confession of Faith which 
placed the Presbyterian Church of this country specifically 
on the platform of the widest religious liberty. 

He was a high Calvinist and a strong Presbyterian, active 
in the Church's judicatories and deeply interested in the or- 
ganization of its missionary work. He was elected chaplain 







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PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 403 

of the Congress of the United States in 1792, with Bishop 
White, and was reelected by every successive Congress 
until, in 1800, the Capital was removed from Philadelphia 
to Washington. During his pastorate in Philadelphia he 
made two extended journeys, one to New England and the 
other to Virginia, and was received in both sections of the 
country as a man of eminence. He was deeply interested 
in theological education ; was one of the original committee 
of the General Assembly to organize a theological semi- 
nary; and was the author of the plan for a theological insti- 
tution which the Assembly adopted, and to which it gave 
effect in the institution at Princeton. He was President 
of its Board of Directors from the beginning until his death 
in 1848; and when, in 1824, the trustees of the Theological 
Seminary were incorporated, he was made one of them, and 
continued a trustee for the remainder of his life. At the 
time of his election to the Presidency of Princeton College 
he was the best-known and probably the most influential 
minister of the Presbyterian Church. 

On October 29, 18 12, after having been a pastor for more 
than twenty-five years, he left Philadelphia for Princeton, 
and entered upon the duties of the College Presidency. 
The Trustees, before finally adjourning, elected Mr. Elijah 
Slack Vice-President of the College and Professor of Math- 
ematics and Natural Philosophy, and chose two tutors. Soon 
after Mr. Lindsley was elected Professor of Languages. 
During the first year of Dr. Green's administration these 
gentlemen were the Faculty. The year was one of great 
excitement throughout the country. It was the year of the 
beginning of the second war with Great Britain. The ex- 
citement of the nation was reflected in the life of the Col- 
lege. Discipline was difficult. Soon after Dr. Green's 
induction disturbances became so serious as almost to reach 
the point of a general rebellion. The conduct of the Faculty 



404 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

and of Dr. Green in the suppression of the disturbances and 
in disciphning the offenders appears to have been eminently 
wise ; certainly, it was so regarded by the Board of Trustees. 
The latter body put on record its opinion that the Faculty 
manifested a degree of prudence, vigilance, fidelity and 
energy that deserved the warmest thanks of every friend 
of the College. The succeeding year was passed, not only 
without a recurrence of the difficulties, but with good order 
and a profound religious movement. This was true also 
of the year 1815. But the college year of 1816-17 proved 
"to be the most turbulent year of Dr. Green's administra- 
tion." It was the year of the great rebellion, and was ended 
with the dismission of a large number of students. The 
action of the Trustees, or the remarks of some of them 
following the rebellion, the Vice-President of the College 
interpreted as a reflection on himself, and he resigned. Dr. 
Slack was a man of ability, and indeed of eminence, in the 
departments under his charge ; and Dr. Maclean, who knew 
him, pays a high tribute to his character, his fidelity and 
ability. The vacancy caused by his resignation was filled 
by the election of Professor Henry Vethake, a member of 
the Faculty of Rutgers College. In 181 8 a chair was added, 
with the title of Kxperimental Philosophy, Chemistry and 
Natural History. Dr. Jacob Green, a son of the Presi- 
dent and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was 
elected, and filled it with ability until his father's resignation. 
Meanwhile, as the College was increasing in numbers, 
the Trustees proposed to build a new edifice and to plape 
its students under the government of an entirely different 
Faculty, so soon as the number of students should render 
it expedient to do so. A site was not selected, but a com- 
mittee was appointed to seek one within the limits of the 
village, and resolutions looking to the endowment of this 
new college were passed. The plan failed of success. Had 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 405 

this succeeded, it is probable that Princeton University to- 
day would be a collection of small colleges under one cor- 
poration. In 1819 the qualifications for admission to the 
College were made more severe ; but the regulations 
adopted by the Trustees coiild not be enforced, owing to 
the inefficiency of the preparatory schools on which the 
College depended for students. The subject of discipline 
was oftener before the Trustees during this administra- 
tion than during any other, and in a resolution the relation 
of the Faculty to the students was fixed. Dr. Green's health 
compelled him to resign in 1822. No one of his predeces- 
sors had before him more difficult problems connected with 
the interior life of the College. These he solved with great 
wisdom and conscientiousness. The Trustees received his 
letter of resignation with deep regret. When they accepted 
it they addressed him a letter in which they said : " In accept- 
ing your resignation, they cannot withhold the expression 
of their highest respect for your ministerial character, your 
general influence in the Church of God, your uniform and 
unwearied exertions to promote the best interests of the stu- 
dents under your care, for both time and eternity. Under 
your auspices the College has not only been extricated from 
its financial difficulties, but it has secured a permanent 
source of increasing income, while it has sent forth a number 
of students not exceeded in former times, calculated to give 
stability to its reputation, a ledge for the continuance and 
the growth of its usefulness to the Church and State." 
Soon after his retirement from the presidency, he returned 
to Philadelphia, where he had been so eminent and success- 
ful as a pastor, and lived for twenty-two years a life of great 
activity and usefulness. He was influential particularly in 
the missionary work and in the judicatories of the Church. 
He was eminent as a citizen and a churchman. He was 
most deeply interested in the religious life of the students 



406 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

while connected with the College. He was strongly attached 
to the Church in which he was born, and which he had 
done so much to organize after the Revolutionary War. 
Probably he was at his best when addressing a deliberative 
body or acting as a counsellor upon a committee. In these 
two positions he was unexcelled ; and it was his eminence 
and reputation as a counsellor and legislative speaker that 
led his successor, Dr. Carnahan, to say at his burial : " By 
his talents he was fitted to fill any civil situation, and by 
his eloquence to adorn the halls of our National Legis- 
lature." He died when eighty-five years of age, in the 
year 1848, at Philadelphia, and was buried at Princeton, 
in the cemetery where his predecessors were at rest. 



Vni. The Administrations of James Carnahan 
AND John Maclean. 

After the resignation of Dr. Green, the Trustees elected 
as President Dr. John H. Rice, of Richmond, Virginia. Dr. 
Rice was the pastor of the Presbyterian church in that 
place, an eloquent and widely popular preacher, an influen- 
tial writer on ecclesiastical and theological subjects, and 
deeply interested in collegiate and theological education. 
Owing to the severe illness with which he was suffering at 
the time of his election, and which continued for several 
months, he was unable to respond to the invitation until 
March 14, 1823. In a letter of that date, he declined the 
position, believing that he was called to labor in the South ; 
and not long afterwards he accepted a call to the chair of 
Systematic Theology in the Theological Seminary at Hamp- 
den-Sidney, Virginia. Meanwhile, the Trustees appointed 
Professor Lindsley to the Vice- Presidency, and put on him 
the duties of the hig^her office until the President-elect's 



^b 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 407 

arrival in Princeton. Mr. John Maclean was made teacher 
of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. Professor Linds- 
ley, Mr. Maclean and two tutors constituted the Faculty, 
and about eighty students were in residence. On receiv- 
ing Dr. Rice's declinature, the Trustees at once elected 
Vice-President Lindsley to the Presidency ; but Dr. Linds- 
ley declined, probably because the election was not unani- 
mous. The Board then chose the Rev. James Carnahan, a 
native of Pennsylvania, and, at the time of his election, 
forty-eight years of age. Through both father and mother 
he was descended from Scoto-Irish Presbyterians who had 
settled in the Cumberland Valley. His father had been an 
officer of the army of the Colonies during the Revolutionary 
War. Mr. Carnahan was graduated at Princeton in 1800 
with high honors. After a year's theological study under 
the Rev. Dr. John McMillan of Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, 
he returned to Princeton and was for two years a tutor in 
the College. Although earnestly pressed to remain, he re- 
signed in 1803. He labored first as a pastor, largely in the 
State of New York, and afterwards as a teacher. For eleven 
years preceding his election he taught with great success 
an academy at Georgetown in the District of Columbia. 
Throughout the communion of which he was a minister he 
was highly esteemed as a man of high character, excel- 
lent judgment and absolute devotion to whatever work he 
gave himself. 

The condition of the College was such as to make the 
office of President anything but inviting. The students 
were few, the income was small. There was almost no 
endowment. Repeated efforts had been made to increase 
the permanent funds, but it appeared impossible to excite 
any general interest in its welfare. There were conflicting 
views within the Board of Trustees as to the general policy 
of the College, and the personal relations between some of 



408 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the members of the Board were severely strained. Happily, 
Dr. Carnahan was unaware of the whole truth when the 
office was tendered to him. Had he known all, he would 
undoubtedly have declined. Indeed, so depressed was he 
by these difficulties that not long after his acceptance he 
made up his mind to abandon the office ; and he finally 
retained his place only because of the earnest pleadings of 
his young colleague, Professor Maclean. Notwithstanding 
these exceptional burdens and perplexities, his administra- 
tion after a few years became, and continued to be, singu- 
larly successful. The number of students was largely in- 
creased. The curriculum was enriched and developed. The 
Faculty was enlarged by the foundation of new chairs, and 
by the election of professors, some of whom became emi- 
nent in their respective departments, and whose memories 
are to-day among the most highly valued possessions of the 
University. The Triennial Catalogue contains the names 
of thirty professors who were elected during Dr. Carnahan's 
Presidency. Among them are several of the most distin- 
guished names in the annals of American science and letters. 
The discipline of the College, though lenient, was firmly and 
equitably administered, and the influence exerted by the 
College on the students during their residence had never 
before been stronger or more beneficent. 

The success of Dr. Carnahan was due in part to his 
calm temperament, the fine balance of his faculties, his un- 
selfish devotion to the College and his patience under 
adverse conditions, partly to the liberty of action granted 
by him to his younger colleagues in the Faculty, and largely 
to the remarkable enthusiasm, energy and intelligence of 
the senior professor, John Maclean, who in 1829, when not 
yet thirty years of age, was elected Vice-President of the 
College. Those who remember Dr. Maclean only in his 
later years will have difficulty in bringing before them the 



^^smM 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 409 

man who as Vice-President shared with Dr. Carnahan the 
duty of determining the general poHcy of the College, and of 
taking the initiative in the election of professors for chairs 
already established, in founding new chairs, in enlarging 
the number of students, and in settling the principles of 
College discipline. He was a man of quick intelligence, 
able to turn himself to almost any teaching work, always 
ready to change his work, or to add to it, and always will- 
ing to accept a reduction of income. He was especially 
vigilant in looking out for new and additional teachers ; but 
at all points he was alert, and his one ambition was the pros- 
perity of the College. Between Dr. Carnahan and Dr. 
Maclean there existed, from the beginning to the close of the 
former's administration, a warm and intimate friendship. 
Each was perfectly frank with the other. Each highly 
valued the other. Each finally supplemented the other ; 
and each was ready to efface himself or to work to the 
point of exhaustion in the interests of the institution. It is 
but justice to the memory of both of them to say, that the 
administration of Dr. Carnahan, especially from 1829 until 
his resignation in 1854, was a collegiate administration, in 
which the two colleagues labored as one man, the distinctive 
gifts of each making more valuable those of the other. 

Soon after Dr. Carnahan's election the College lost the 
services of Vice-President Lindsley, who as Professor of 
Languages had done much to give the College fame. He 
was popular both in the College and beyond it, and his 
popularity was deserved. He was invited to many posi- 
tions of prominence in educational institutions, both before 
he resigned and after he left the College in order to become 
President of Cumberland College in Tennessee. He was 
high-spirited and unduly sensitive, faithful to duty not only, 
but enthusiastic, and as a teacher " one of the best," says 
Dr. Maclean, " of whom I have any knowledge." 



410 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

When Dr. Lindsley retired, the smallness of the Faculty 
compelled each of the remaining members to do an extraor- 
dinary amount of teaching as well as administrative work, 
and it became evident that the Faculty must immediately 
be enlarged. The Rev. Luther Hasley was made Professor 
of Chemistry and Natural History, and his acceptance gave 
some relief to his elder colleagues. The change in the ad- 
ministration made discipline difficult, and the Faculty 
appear to have begun Dr. Carnahan's administration by 
making one or two serious mistakes, and thus to have been 
responsible for an exodus of students to Union College. 
One of the mistakes was that of invoking the civil authori- 
ties to aid the College in inflicting punishment in a case in 
which College disciphne ought to have been regarded as 
sufficient. The Faculty voted against the opposition of the 
President and Vice-President, that the offenders should be 
" handed over to the secular arm." These mistakes were 
not repeated. In 1826 the first Young Men's Christian 
Association connected with any College in the United 
States was organized in Princeton under the name of " The 
Philadelphian Society," and from that time to the present it 
has continued the central organization of the students for 
religious work. During the same year, at commencement, 
the first Alumni Association of Nassau Hall was formed, 
with James Madison, of Virginia, as its president, and John 
Maclean as its secretary. 

The College continued a small institution until 1828 
or 1829, when the policy of increasing the professors was 
seriously adopted. It was energetically prosecuted, under 
great difficulties, for a number of years. In this policy is 
to be found the chief cause of the success of Dr. Carnahan's 
administration. In 1829 Professor Robert B. Patton, the 
successor of Dr. Lindsley as Professor of Languages, re- 
signed. His resignation was a great loss to the College. 
He was in the profession, and a teacher so able as fully 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 411 

to have maintained the reputation which the College had 
secured for instruction in language during Dr. Lindsley's 
life in that chair. It was at this time, while the funds of the 
College were at their lowest, that the Board of Trustees, in 
1830, took the bold step of appointing six new professors, 
transferring, in order to do so. Professor Maclean to the 
chair of Ancient Languages and Literature. Professor 
Albert B. Dod was given the chair of Mathematics ; Pro- 
fessor Vethake, who had expressed a wish to return to 
Princeton, the chair of Natural Philosophy ; John Torrey 
was made the Professor of Chemistry and Natural History ; 
Dr. Samuel L. Howell was called to the chair of Anatomy 
and Physiology ; Mr. Lewis Hargous was made Professor 
of Modern Languages; and Mr. Joseph Addison Alexander^ 
was appointed Adjunct Professor of Ancient Languages and 
Literature. No braver step was ever taken by an American 

^Joseph Addison Alexander, D. D., was born at Princeton, April 24, 1809. 
He was graduated with the first honor of his class in 1826. After his resigna- 
tion of his chair in the College, he was elected associate professor of Oriental 
and Biblical Literature in Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1840 he was 
elected professor ; in 1851 he was transferred to the chair of Biblical and 
Ecclesiastical History, and in 1859 to the chair of Hellenistic and New Testa- 
ment Literature. He died in i860. His power of rapidly acquiring knowledge 
and his extraordinary memory enabled him to read in twenty-five or more 
languages. His interest in them was rather literary than philological. His 
wide cultivation, his fine gifts of expression and his enthusiasm in scholarship 
and literature made him a brilliant and .stimulating lecturer in every depart- 
ment conducted by him. His essays, sermons and commentaries show him to 
have been an exact scholar as well as a man of letters. His published works 
are many and valuable. All of them show remarkable talents, and some of 
them genius. But they do not fairly exhibit either the high quality of his 
intellect or his fertihty. All were written rapidly, as though he were im- 
patient to pursue another of the many subjects to which his large and various 
knowledge invited him. Few Americans enjoyed so thoroughly as he did a 
scholar's life, and very few have brought into the lecture-room so much of 
inspiration for their students. He was thought to be the most gifted mem- 
ber of a singularly able family. He was a man of fine sincerity of character ; 
a devout, humble and believing Christian. 



412 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

college. It was soon justified by a large increase in the 
number of students. While the whole College had num- 
bered up to this time less than loo, in 1830 and 1831 
67 new students were received. The next year there were 
139 in the College, and the number rose, speaking roughly, 
year after year until the beginning of the Civil War, which 
separated temporarily the South from the North. The most 
remarkable increase is that in the decade between 1829 and 
1839. ^^ 1829 there were but 70 students, while in 1839 
there were 270. The election of the six professors just 
named was only the initiation of a policy that was faithfully 
executed during the whole of the administration. Two 
years later the College secured the services of Joseph 
Henry, whose exceptional greatness as a man of science 
gave celebrity to the institution, and whose transparent 
goodness endeared him to both colleagues and students. 
In 1833 James Waddel Alexander^ was elected Professor 

^ James Waddel Alexander, the son of the Rev. Archibald Alexander, was 
born March 13, 1804; graduated at Princeton College 1820, and studied at 
Princeton Theological Seminary. Besides being professor in the College, 
1833-44, he was professor in the Theological Seminary, 1848-51; pastor 
of the Presbyterian Church at Trenton, New Jersey, 1828-30 ; editor of the 
" Presbyterian " at an earlier date, and finally pastor of the Fifth Avenue 
Presbyterian Church, New York, from 1851 until his death in 1859. He was 
a gifted and cultivated man. He read widely, reflected deeply, and wrote 
charmingly on a great variety of subjects. He was one of the most frequent 
and highly valued contributors to the " Princeton Review " from its establish- 
ment until his death. His love of letters was a passion only less command- 
ing in its influence on himself than his rehgion. Upon all his students and 
parishioners a deep impression was made by his ability, cultivation, refine- 
ment and elevated character. These traits appear also in his letters, as in 
all his published writings. The strength and beauty of his features, his en- 
gaging social qualities, his intellectual life and his purity and unselfishness 
enabled him, in whatever position, to exert a stronger influence on individual 
men, than most men, in the circles in which he moved. He was an example 
of the highest type of Christian preacher and pastor produced by the Ameri- 
can Church. 



^B^ 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 413 

of Belles-lettres. In 1834 Stephen Alexander was added 
to the Faculty. Indeed, it may be said that the cata- 
logue of professors, beginning in 1830 with the name of 
Albert B. Dod and closing in 1854 with Arnold Guyot and 
covering the years of Dr. Carnahan's administration, needs 
only to be examined to justify the statement that no policy 
was ever more brilliantly executed than the policy, initiated 
by Dr. Carnahan and Dr. Maclean, of increasing the chairs 
and seeking men to fill them without waiting for an endow- 
ment. What a remarkable addition in point of numbers 
there was to the teaching force of the institution while Dr. 
Carnahan was President will be seen from the fact, that dur- 
ing the whole life of the College up to his presidency only 
fourteen professors had been appointed, while during his 
administration alone there were thirty. Of course some 
plans were adopted which failed. As early as 1834 — a year 
in which other additions to the Faculty were made, as that 
of Professor Hart to the Department of Languages — it was 
seriously attempted to establish a summer school of medicine. 
The design was given up, owing to the death of the Profes- 
sor of Anatomy and Physiology, and was never revived. 
In 1846 a law school was founded, and three gentlemen 
were elected professors. The lectures were kept up with 
much spirit for two years, but the school was then dis- 
continued. The position of the College was not favorable 
to the establishment of professional schools of law and 
medicine, and from that time on no attempt was made to 
establish them. 

The growth of the College compelled the authorities to 
provide increased accommodations for the students. Two 
dormitories were erected: East College in 1833 ^^^ West 
College in 1836, each four stories in height; they were built 
of stone with brick partitions and fire-proof stairways of 
iron, and the stairs enclosed in brick walls. Each of the 



414 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

dormitories gave accommodation to sixty-four students. 
The College authorities were unable to gratify their taste 
in their construction ; but for sixty years and more they 
have served their purpose well, and it is probable that no 
investment of the College has yielded a larger return. The 
cost of erecting each was less than fourteen thousand dol- 
lars. The growth of the College led also to increased 
activity in the two literary societies. Up to this time they 
had no homes of their own. The meetings were held in 
rooms provided by the College in the building now known 
as the College Offices. But in the winter of 1836-37 two 
new halls were built ; the description of one will serve for 
both, as they were alike: "Whig Hall," says Professor 
Cameron, "is a building in Ionic style, sixty-two feet long, 
forty-one feet wide, and two stories high. The columns of 
the hexastyle porticos are copied from those of a temple by 
Ilissus near the fountain of Callirrhoe, in Athens. The 
splendid temple of Dionysus in the Ionian City of Teos, 
situated on a peninsula of Asia Minor, is a model of the 
building in other respects." 

During the administration of Dr. Carnahan the College 
gained immensely, not only by the separate but also by the 
associated energies of the able men who formed the Fac- 
ulty. Their meetings were frequent, and the exchange of 
ideas led to a higher and increased activity in all depart- 
ments : discipline, examinations, lectures and recitations. 
The scientific researches of its eminent professors — for not 
a few of them became eminent — added to the reputation of 
the institution and gave it a standing which it had never 
before enjoyed as an institution of learning. Indeed, it may 
be said that in the sense in which it had been an eminent 
home and nursery of patriotism in the days of Witherspoon, 
it was now a great institution for the cultivation of the sci- 
ences and the liberal arts. From time to time, however, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 415 

the College sustained great losses by the death or the re- 
moval to other institutions of several important members of 
the Faculty. Joseph Addison Alexander, after three years 
of work, was seized by the Theological Seminary, where, 
until his death, he had a brilliant career. Joseph Henry, 
after laboring for sixteen years in the chair of Natural Phi- 
losophy and making discoveries in the sphere of science and 
performing inestimable -services for his country, was called, 
in 1848, to the Smithsonian Institution. Albert B. Dod,^ 
who was brilliant not only in the Chair of Mathematics but 
in the pulpit and in the pages of the " Princeton Review," died 
in 1845; ^i^d James W. Alexander, whose cultivation and 
fertility as a writer entitle one to say of him that he might 
have become one of the most eminent of American men of 
letters, felt it his duty to become a pastor, and resigned in 
1844. These were great losses, but men of ability were at 
once called to the vacant places, and the large work of the 
institution did not suffer. Dr. Elias Loomis, and, after his 
resignation, Professor McCulloch, took the place of Joseph 

^ " In my student days there was a professorial constellation in the Faculty 
that for brilliancy has rarely, if ever, been equalled in any American institu- 
tion. It was our privilege to be instructed in mathematics by Albert B. Dod, 
in physics by Joseph Henry, in belles-lettres and Latin by James W. Alexan- 
der, in astronomy by Stephen Alexander, in chemistry and botany by John 
Torrey. Mr. Maclean's rare talent for leadership was strikingly exhibited in 
the selection and collection of such a group of educators at a critical period 
in the history of the College. All but one of the group, at that time the most 
conspicuous, lived to accomplish the full career of distinction of which their 
early professorial life gave promise. With the eminence to which these 
attained all are familiar. Few, however, at the present day appreciate how 
sore an intellectual bereavement Princeton suffered in the death of Albert B. 
Dod in the prime of his early manhood. His intellect was notable for the 
versatility as well as the rarity of his genius. He seemed alike eminent in 
mathematics, in physics, in philosophy, in literature, in aesthetics and in 
theology. Though his death occurred when but forty years of age, no one 
had contributed more largely to the high reputation of the ' Princeton Re- 
view ' not only in this country, but Great Britain, by his profound and schol- 



416 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Henry ; Dr. Hope, a man of charming Christian character 
as well as a wise and stimulating teacher, succeeded Dr. 
James Alexander; and Stephen Alexander, a graduate of 
Union College, who became eminent as an astronomer and 
a man of eloquence, took the place of Professor Dod. By 
nothing is the intellectual life of the College at this time 
more clearly shown than it is by the fact that of the thirty 
professors elected during Dr. Carnahan's administration, 
about one half were its own graduates. 

Dr. Carnahan resigned in 1854. In the thirty-one years 
of his administration, sixteen hundred and seventy-seven 
students were admitted to the first degree of the arts, the 
annual average being over fifty-four. Of these, seventy- 
three became presidents or professors in colleges or other 
seminaries of learning, eight became senators of the United 
States, twenty-six members of the National House of Repre- 
sentatives, four were members of the Cabinet, and a large 
number became eminent in the liberal professions. The 
number graduated during his presidency was larger than 

arly articles on ' Analytical Geometry,' ' The Vestiges of Creation,' ' Transcen- 
dentalism ' including an exhaustive discussion of Cousin's ' Philosophy,' ' Ox- 
ford Architecture,' Finney's 'Sermons and Lectures,' 'The Elder Question,' 
which at the time agitated the Presbyterian Church, and ' Lyman Beecher's 
Theology.' Rarely has any college or university had in its curriculum a course 
of lectures more inspiring intellectually and aesthetically instructive than Pro- 
fessor Dod's course in ' Architecture,' covering the whole field, Egyptian, 
Grecian, Roman, Gothic and Modern. They were delivered without manu- 
script, and held the audience in rapt attention by interesting information, 
subtle analysis of principles, elevated thought, lucid statement, brilliant rhet- 
oric, delivered with the ease of a conversational manner, with frequent passages 
thrillingly eloquent. The same intellectual quahties characterized his ser- 
mons. Those who remember Professor Dod as a lecturer and preacher are 
frequently reminded of him when listening to the President of our University. 
Had Professor Dod's life been spared, as the lives of his eminent colleagues 
were, to bring forth fruit even to old age, among the many Princeton men 
who have attained high distinction his name would have been conspicuous." 
—"MS. of Professor J. T. Duffield." 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 417 

the number during the administrations of all his prede- 
cessors. While he was in office the relations between the 
Trustees and the Faculty, and between the members of the 
Faculty, were singularly harmonious. The students enjoyed 
a larger measure of freedom than during any earlier admin- 
istration. And when students were disciplined, their wel- 
fare had quite as much influence in determining the chastise- 
ment as the welfare of the institution. 

In his letter of resignation Dr. Carnahan paid a high 
tribute to his colleague, Vice-President Maclean. After the 
remark, that Dr. Maclean was the only officer living of those 
connected with the College when his presidency began. Dr. 
Carnahan said : " To his activity, energy, zeal and devotion 
to the interests of the institution, I must be permitted to 
give my unqualified testimony. We have passed through 
many trying times together. In time of need he was 
always at his post without shrinking. He was always ready 
to meet opposition in the discharge of what he thought to 
be his duty." Dr. Carnahan lived six years after his resig- 
nation. He was chosen a trustee of the College, and his 
successor says of him: "In every respect he was a helper 
to his successor, and gave him his cordial support both in 
the Board and without." He died on March 3, 1859, ^"^^ 
was buried at Princeton, by the side of his immediate pre- 
decessor, Dr. Ashbel Green. 

It was ordered that in December, 1853, at the stated semi- 
annual meeting, the Board should elect a President of the 
College. Three gentlemen were named for the position, 
two of them without their consent. One was Joseph Henry, 
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who positively de- 
clined to be a candidate. Another was the Rev. Dr. David 
Magie, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, a graduate of the College, 
an eminent preacher and pastor, and one of the Trustees, 
who, notwithstanding his earnest advocacy of Dr. Maclean's 



418 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

election, received several votes. The third was Dr. John 
Maclean, Vice-President of the College. Dr. Maclean was 
elected. He took the oath of office and delivered his in- 
augural address at the commencement of 1854. His ad- 
dress was partly historical, and partly an exposition of the 
policy to be pursued during his administration. The new 
President was a native of Princeton, and was born March 
3, 1800. He was the son of the College's first Professor of 
Chemistry. He was graduated in the class of 1816, and was 
its youngest member. For a year after his graduation he 
taught in the classical school at Lawrenceville. In 1818 
he became a tutor, and from that date until his resignation 
as President in 1868 he was a member of the Faculty. His 
whole active life was thus given to the College. He in- 
terested himself only in such objects as were in harmony 
with the interests of the College. He taught at various 
times Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Latin, Greek, and 
the Evidences of Christianity. He acquired knowledge 
with great ease, and his wide intellectual sympathies are 
shown in the chairs he filled. In his younger life he was 
an able and stimulating teacher ; but the burden of adminis- 
tration was laid upon him soon after he became a teacher, 
and the exceptional executive ability shown by him led his 
colleagues to beheve that it was his duty to subordinate 
his scholarly ambition to the welfare of the College. Dr. 
Maclean acquiesced, and in this way he was prevented 
from becoming eminent in any branch of study. It is not 
too much to say that up to his presidency Princeton had 
enjoyed the services of no chief executive officer who so 
completely sank his own personality in the institution he 
served. As has already been said, his untiring energies 
and his sagacious judgment of men and measures con- 
tributed largely to the success of the administration of Dr. 
Carnahan ; and it was confidently expected that his own ad- 



mmm 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 419 

ministration would at its close show an advance as great as 
that made between the death of Dr. Green and his own acces- 
sion. In one important respect this expectation was not dis- 
appointed. It must be remembered, to the lasting honor 
of most of the institutions of higher education in America, 
that up to the close of the Civil War they accomplished 
their great work for the Church and State with almost no 
endowments. This is true of both Princeton and Yale. 
Speaking only of Princeton, after having been in exis- 
tence one hundred and seven years, and after having 
made the noble record shown by the General Catalogue 
and the statistics which have been given in this sketch, 
the treasury contained only fifteen thousand dollars of 
endowment. It is almost incredible that all, except this 
amount, which had been received by the treasury was of 
necessity expended for the purchase of lands and the erection 
of buildings and the maintenance, year after year, of the 
work of the College. Besides maintaining the College 
and largely increasing the number of its students. Dr. 
Maclean, aided by his colleagues, and especially by Dr. 
Matthew B. Hope and Dr. Lyman H. Atwater, endeav- 
ored successfully during his administration to provide the 
College with some permanent funds. All efforts up to this 
time to secure an endowment had failed, and efforts had 
repeatedly been made, — three times during the previous 
administration, in 1825, 1830, and 1835. "The aggregate 
of gifts to the College," says Dr. Duffield, "during Dr. 
Maclean's administration was about four hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars." This aggregate is probably a larger 
amount than the College had received in gifts from its 
foundation to the beginning of Dr. Maclean's administra- 
tion. The accessions to the College were greatly increased. 
The last year of Dr. Carnahan's administration the number 
catalogued was two hundred and forty-seven ; seven years 



420 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

later, in 1861, just before the beginning of the Civil War, 
three hundred and fourteen students were in residence. But 
for the beginning of hostilities, and the exodus of all the 
students from the South, the graduating class of that year 
would probably have numbered nearly one hundred. The 
life of the College during this period was in no respect 
different from its life during the previous administrations. 
The same modes of teaching were pursued, and the same 
policy in discipline was executed. The aim of Dr. Maclean 
and his colleagues was to perfect the institution as a college. 
They had tried the experiment of a university, and, as they 
supposed, had failed. The Summer School of Medicine and 
the Law School had been abandoned, and the whole influ- 
ence of the Faculty was exerted to develop the institution 
along the lines of the course of study leading to the first 
degree in the arts. In this Dr. Maclean and the Faculty 
were eminently successful. How popular the College was, 
and how really national it was in the support given to it, 
will be seen from the fact that of the three hundred and 
more students in attendance during the college year of 
1859-60, more than one third came from the Southern 
States, and that twenty-six of the thirty-one States of the 
Union were represented in the classes. 

The success of Dr. Maclean's administration as thus in- 
dicated was achieved against great obstacles. He had not 
been a year in the presidency when the College suffered a 
second time from the burning of Nassau Hall. It was 
destroyed by fire in 1855, ^^^ ^'^^ rebuilt at great expense, 
the old chapel being enlarged and made the library. This 
expenditure had scarcely been made when the College was 
compelled, by the financial crisis which seized the country 
in 1857, to abandon for a time the project of increasing 
its endowment. A period of business depression followed, 
from which the country had not recovered when, in 1861, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 421 

the Southern States seceded and the Civil War began. No 
college in the North was so popular in the South as Prince- 
ton. As has already been said, at the beginning of the 
civil strife one third of its students were living south of 
Mason and Dixon's line. When to this blow to the Col- 
lege was added the enlistment of not a few of its students 
in the Union army and the diminution of the entering 
classes on account of the call of the country upon its young 
men to defend the Union on the field of battle, the only 
cause for wonder is that during the four years of active 
hostilities the College maintained itself so well. With the 
close of the war the number of students slowly increased. 
Three years after peace was declared — that is to say, in 
1868 — the entering students numbered one hundred and 
seventeen, — " the largest number," says Dr. Duffield, "up 
to that period in the history of the College." 

But just as the College was recovering the popularity 
which it enjoyed immediately before the war began. Dr. 
Maclean began to feel the burdens of age. His energy 
was not what it once was, and, what was more important, 
the war, among its other revolutions, had changed the 
views of many, interested in higher education, concerning 
the college curriculum and college management. The 
Presbyterian Church, which had been divided since 1838, 
was preparing the way for a reunion. The country was 
entering upon a new life. Dr. Maclean felt that it was 
appropriate that he should yield to another the position 
which for fourteen years he had occupied with such con- 
spicuous success. He resigned at the close of fifty years 
of official life, his resignation taking place at the commence- 
ment of 1868. After he retired he employed his leisure in 
writing the history of the College. One of his students has 
admirably said: "Of the intellectual character of Dr. Mac- 
lean it is not easy to form an estimate. The circumstances 



422 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

of the College forced him to give instruction in so many 
departments that it would have been a marvel if he had 
found additional time to prove his genius in any. But so 
strong and facile was his mental energy, that it developed 
a notable degree of talent for almost every subject that in- 
terested him. He was able to hold the different chairs 
in Princeton, not through mere partiality, for it is now 
known — what his modesty at the time concealed — that he 
received overtures from other colleges to fill similar pro- 
fessorships with them. Dr. Matthew B. Hope, than whom 
Princeton never had a shrewder judge of men, used to say 
that had Maclean given himself to any particular study in 
science, philosophy, or language, he would easily have 
attained celebrity in it. If we doubt this, we may find a 
reason for the failure of Dr. Maclean to become a master in 
speciality, not in the lack of special ability, but rather in 
the possession of certain other intellectual impulses, which 
made his thoughts overflow any single channel." ^ 

But if he failed to attain eminence in any single direction. 
Dr. Maclean was eminently gifted as a counsellor. He 
grasped seriously the elements of any situation in which the 
College was placed, and was as able as most men to discern 
the policy which it demanded. He knew men well. He 
not only seldom made mistakes, but was extraordinarily 
successful in the selection or nomination of colleagues. 
His accurate estimate of men was shown in his estimate 
of himself. Probably no man ever connected with Prince- 
ton College took his own measure more exactly, or so 
thoroughly knew his own limitations. This knowledge of 
himself was due not more to his ability than to the simplicity 
and sincerity of his character. This sincerity, with the 
magnanimity and the charity that were blended with it, 
was recognized by those associated with him in the Board 

' Memorial Address by James M. Ludlow, D. D. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 423 

of Trustees and Faculty of Instruction, and by his students 
and the people of the town in which he passed his life. 
"My immediate predecessor," says Dr. McCosh, "was 
John Maclean, the well-beloved, who watched over young 
men so carefully, and never rebuked a student without 
making him a friend." Dr. Charles Hodge called him 
the most loved man in America; and Dr. Ludlow gave 
apt expression to the feeling of all his students, touching 
his personal interest in them, in the remark: "St. Hilde- 
garde used to say, ' I put my soul within your soul.' Dr. 
Maclean put his soul within the soul of the young man, if 
ever a man did. He felt for us, he felt as he felt himself in 
us." It was the conviction of Dr. Maclean's sympathy 
with the life of each of his students, his readiness to sacri- 
fice himself for their interests, that gave him in his old 
age and retirement the love and honor of troops of friends 
that blessed his latest years. In the narrower and retired 
life he lived after his resignation he was as active as a 
philanthropist, though within a restricted field, as he ever 
had been. As he had lived beloved by all, he died lamented 
by all, August lo, 1886. 



IX. The Administration of James McCosh. The 

Beginning of the Administration of 

Francis Landey Patton. 

The resignation of Dr. Maclean having been accepted, to 
take effect at the commencement of 1868, the Trustees 
elected, as his successor, the Rev. Dr. William Henry 
Green, Professor of Oriental and Old Testament Literature 
in Princeton Theological Seminary. Professor Green, 
though a graduate of Lafayette College, belonged to a 
family which had been associated with Princeton College 



424 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

from its foundation. He was a descendant of Jonathan 
Dickinson, the first President of the College and of Caleb 
Smith, its first tutor ; and among its distinguished graduates 
and benefactors were some of his near relatives. For 
many years he had given himself exclusively to Oriental 
and Old Testament studies ; but in his younger life had 
shown fine gifts as a teacher in other departments, and 
had been the pastor of a prominent church in Philadelphia. 
It was felt not only that his acceptance would strengthen 
the hold of the College on the Church which had in the 
main supported it, and bring to it new friends and enlarged 
endowment, but that Dr. Green's scholarship and character 
would greatly benefit the scholarship, the discipline and the 
general life of the institution. The Trustees received his 
declinature with great regret ; but the news of it was heard 
at the Theological Seminary with the greatest pleasure. 

Except that of Dr. Green, no name invited the Trustees 
until it was proposed that the Rev. Dr. James McCosh, 
Professor of Logic and Philosophy in Queen's College, 
Belfast, Ireland, be invited to take the vacant chair. Dr. 
McCosh visited America in 1866, and his addresses deep- 
ened the impression which his apologetic and philosophical 
discussions had made on the American public. He was re- 
ceived and heard everywhere as a thinker and writer of de- 
served eminence. The writer of this sketch well remem- 
bers the large audience which gathered in the Fifth Avenue 
Presbyterian Church one evening during this visit, to listen 
to his defense of the Gospels against the attack made upon 
them in Kenan's "Life of Jesus"; and how fully he sus- 
tained the reputation which had preceded him. His views 
in philosophy were those which had been taught and de- 
fended at Princeton College ; and his Scottish nationality 
and his residence in Ulster were an additional recommenda- 
tion to the College of John Witherspoon and to the Church 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 425 

of Francis Makemie. Moreover, the fact that he had taken 
the side of the Free Church at the disruption, and had 
shown himself as ready as any of his brethren to make sac- 
rifices in the cause of the autonomy of Christian con- 
gregations, led the friends of the College to beheve that he 
would be at home in a republic. The divided Presbyterian 
Church was about to reunite ; and it was felt that it was 
fortunate that Dr. McCosh had no memories of the theo- 
logical and ecclesiastical battles which culminated in the di- 
vision. For these reasons, his acceptance was received with 
great pleasure, and with confidence that the College would 
prosper and be enlarged during his administration. The 
Rev. Dr. Stearns of Newark, a trustee of the College, was 
Moderator of the New School Presbyterian General As- 
sembly in 1868. While the Assembly was sitting he learned 
of Dr. McCosh's acceptance. The writer happened to be 
standing by when he told the news to the late Dr. Henry 
Boynton Smith. Dr. Smith said, " It was a wise choice. He 
is a man of great ability. He may easily prove as great a 
gift to the Church and State as John Witherspoon." While 
his acceptance awakened high hopes, no one anticipated his 
great and brilliant administration. Looking back upon it, 
now that it has been closed, it must be regarded as the 
most successful and in some respects the greatest adminis- 
tration the College has enjoyed. Undoubtedly, Dr. McCosh 
was fortunate in the time of his presidency, and in his col- 
leagues. But greatness consists largely in seizing the op- 
portunities which time ofiers ; and not a few of his colleagues 
were his own students, who owed much of their inspiration 
to his teachings and example. 

His administration is too recent to make appropriate an 
estimate of it, like that which has been given of each of the 
earlier administrations. He is the last of the Presidents 
who have completed their work. Such an estimate can be 



426 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

made only of a presidency which stands, not at the close of, 
but well within, a series. Concerning one thing, however, 
there is no peril in making a positive statement. What- 
ever shall be the development of the institution hereafter, 
it must always be said of James McCosh, that while loyal 
to the foundation and the history of the College, he it was 
who, more than any other man, made it in fact a University. 
Though it was not until after he had been called away from 
earth that the name was given, it should never be for- 
gotten that the University life began in, and because of, his 
administration.^ 

^ The following minute of the Faculty, adopted November 17, 1894, recog- 
nizes this fact : " In recording the death of President McCosh, the Faculty 
are not able to give adequate expression to their feeling. For many years 
their relations with him were closer than those of any other portion of the 
Academic body ; and their continued friendship with him since his retire- 
ment from office has only deepened the sense of bereavement and increased 
the veneration and love with which they have followed him to his grave. 

" While presiding in the Faculty, Dr. McCosh always commanded respect by 
his conscientious devotion to the interests of the College ; by his fidelity in 
the routine of official duty; by his watchful supervision of the details of the 
whole administration ; by his kindly interest in the labors of his colleagues ; 
by his hospitable welcome to every new study and new teacher ; by the wis- 
dom and liberality of his plans for expanding the courses of instruction ; and 
the wonderful efficiency and success with which he carried these plans toward 
completion. 

" The results of his Presidency have made a new epoch in our history. The 
College has virtually become a University. Its Faculty has been trebled in 
numbers. Its alumni and friends have rallied around it with new loyalty. 
Munificent gifts have been poured into its treasury. Schools of Science, of 
Philosophy, of Art, of Civil and Electrical Engineering, have been founded, 
with endowed professorships, fellowships and prizes, and an ample equipment 
of libraries, museums, laboratories, observatories, chapels, dormitories, aca- 
demic halls, and athletic grounds and buildings. We live amid architectural 
monuments of his energy, which other college generations after us will con- 
tinue to admire. 

" In his own department of instruction Dr. McCosh has raised the College to 
its proper eminence as a seat of philosophical culture. He did this primarily 
as a thinker, by original contributions to Logic, to Metaphysics, to Psychol- 
ogy, to Ethics and to the Intuitional School of Philosophy ; also as a writer, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 42T 

The story of the Hfe and work of this great benefactor 
and executive, it has seemed to the writer, ought to be told 
here by those who knew him intimately and were asso- 
ciated with him in the work he did. Happily, the litera- 
ture is abundant, and throws light from various sides on 
his noble personality, his gifts as a thinker, writer and 
teacher, and on his career as President. For a biography, 
detailed enough for our purpose, we are indebted to his 
student, colleague and intimate friend. Professor Andrew 
F. West. This biography, illustrated by extracts from his 
autobiography and estimates of his ability and attainments 

by the numerous works, written in a strong and clear style, with which he has 
enriched the philosophical literature of his time ; and especially, as an inspir- 
ing teacher, by training enthusiastic disciples, who are now perpetuating his 
influence in various institutions of learning. From this Faculty alone a band 
of such disciples has borne him reverently to his burial. 

"In the sphere of college discipline Dr. McCosh aimed at the moral train- 
ing of the whole undergraduate community. The students were brought 
into more normal relations with the Faculty. Vicious traditions and customs 
among them were uprooted. Their self-government was guarded and pro- 
moted ; and their rehgious life found fuller expression in the new Marquand 
Chapel, Murray Hall and the St. Paul's Society. 

" In the cause of the higher education Dr. McCosh became a leader at once 
conservative and progressive. On the one hand, he sought to retain the 
classics for their disciplinal value and as fundamental to the learned profes- 
sions and all true scholarship ; and for like reasons, the mathematics as 
essential to the sciences, whether pursued as bodies of pure knowledge or 
applied in the arts. But on the other hand, he found due place for the host 
of new special studies, literary, historical, political, artistic, technical, de- 
manded by modern life and culture. His inaugural address * On Academic 
Teaching in Europe ' may be said to have struck the key-note of true aca- 
demic teaching in America. 

"As the representative head of the College, President McCosh was always 
and everywhere faithful to its Christian traditions. By his writings, lectures, 
and addresses he defended ' Fundamental Truth ' in religion no less than in 
philosophy ; he vindicated the ' Method of the Divine Government,' physical 
as well as moral ; he set forth the * Typical Forms and Special Ends in 
Creation ' as consistent with evolution ; he showed the analogy of ' The 
Natural and the Supernatural ' ; and he maintained a logical ' Realism ' and 
' Theism ' against the growing scepticism of the day. At the same time his 



428 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

by Others who knew him well, will for this volume be the 
best history of his administration. 

" Rarely," writes Professor West, " has academic history 
repeated itself with such precision and emphasis as in the 
person of President James McCosh,^ who, though unique 

discriminating conservatism was ever held in hearty sympathy with the 
modern scientific spirit, and his steadfast adherence to the principles of evan- 
gelical religion never narrowed his Christian sympathies. A leader in great 
international Alliances and Councils of the Churches, he also consistently 
welcomed students of every religious denomination to their chartered privileges 
within our walls. The representatives of all creeds mingled in his funeral. 

" While a commanding figure has passed from public view, there remains 
among us, who were his nearer associates, the charm of a unique personahty 
and rare Christian character, to be henceforth enshrined in our memories 
with reverence and affection. 

"To his bereaved family we can only tender our deepest sympathy, pray- 
ing that they may receive those divine consolations which he himself taught 
during his life and illustrated in peaceful death." 

^ The information used for this notice comes from many sources, princi- 
pally from members of Dr. McCosh's family, his pupils and friends in 
Great Britain and America, his own writings, and many scattered publications 
about him. This information has been used freely, perhaps even to the point 
of adopting some statements of fact and turns of expression without acknow- 
ledgment. Of the newspaper obituaries the best for his life in Scotland is 
to be found in "The Scotsman " of Edinburgh, under date of November 19, 
1894 (an account drawn largely from the volume on " Disruption Worthies," 
published in Edinbuirgh and London, 1881), the best for his Belfast life is in 
"The Northern Whig " of Belfast, November 19, 1894 (based mainly upon 
information given by Mr. Thomas Sinclair of Belfast), and the best for his 
Princeton life appeared in the "New York Tribune" November 17, 1894. 
Interesting incidents of his relations to the students are in the " New York 
Herald" of November 18, 1894. A good undergraduate estimate is to be 
found in the " Nassau Literary Magazine " for December, 1894, and another 
in the number for June, 1888. There is a sketch by the present writer 
in the " New York Observer " of November 22, 1894, and a briefer one in the 
" Educational Review " for November, 1894. An article by Professor Ormond 
appears in the "Educational Review" for February, 1895. Professor Sloane 
has edited Dr. McCosh's autobiography, and has given the one full and satis- 
factory account we have. It is entitled "The Life of James McCosh," and 
is published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. — A. F. West. 



asMi 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 429 

in his own generation, had a real prototype in the person 
of one, though only one, of his predecessors. President 
John Witherspoon, the ruler of Princeton a century ago. 
Each of them was in point of ancestry a Covenanter, by 
birth a Lowland Scotchman, in his youth a student at the 
University of Edinburgh, in his young manhood a minister 
of the Church of Scotland at a 'crisis in its history, and in 
that crisis an important figure, — Witherspoon heading the 
opposition to moderatism and Dr. McCosh helping to form 
the Free Church. When already past the meridian of life 
each of them came to America to do his greatest work as 
President of Princeton, the one arriving in 1768 and the 
other in 1868. Though of different degrees of eminence in 
different particulars, they were nevertheless of fundamen- 
tally the same character, being philosophers of reality, min- 
isters of evangelical and yet catholic spirit, constructive 
and aggressive in temper, stimulating as teachers, stout 
upholders of disciplinary education, men of marked per- 
sonal independence, of wide interest in public affairs and 
thoroughly patriotic as Americans. The principles of col- 
lege government on which Witherspoon acted Dr. McCosh 
expressly avowed. ' These principles,' he wrote, ' were 
full of wisdom, tact and kindness. Without knowing them 
till afterward, I have endeavored to act on the same prin- 
ciples, but more imperfectly. Govern, said he, govern 
always, but beware of governing too much.'^ Their 
presidencies were long and successful. Each lived the last 
twenty-six years of his life in Princeton, and it may be 
noticed as a striking final coincidence that they passed 
away a century apart, almost to the day, — Witherspoon 
dying November 15, 1794, and Dr. McCosh on November 
16, 1894. 

"James McCosh was born April i, 1811, at Carskeoch 
Farm, on the left bank of the ' bonnie Doon,' just above 

^ "John Witherspoon and his Times," Philadelphia, 1890. 



430 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

the village of Patna, some twelve miles from Ayr, the 
county town of Ayrshire. In this region, so full of inspir- 
ing Scottish memories, his boyhood was spent, and, in 
common with so many of his countrymen who have risen 
to fame, he received his first education in the parochial 
school. In 1824, when but thirteen years old, he entered 
the University of Glasgow, an institution already famous in 
the annals of the Scottish philosophy for the teaching of 
Reid and Hutcheson, — a fit place for the young student to 
begin, who was later to write the history of the Scottish 
School. Here he remained five years. In 1829 he entered 
the University of Edinburgh, coming under the influence 
of Thomas Chalmers and David Welsh in theology, and of 
Sir William Hamilton in philosophy. He had also some 
strong intellectual compeers among the students of that 
time. Such, for example, was Tait, afterward Archbishop 
of Canterbury. Incidents of Dr. McCosh's youth and 
student days formed the basis of many an interesting anec- 
dote in his later years. Of such were his remembrances as 
a boy of the recurring anniversaries when his elders used 
to pledge with enthusiasm ' the memory of Bobbie Burns.' 
At other times he would dwell with fondness on one or 
another loved feature of the home scenery of Ayrshire or 
the talk of its people. The competition for intellectual 
honors at the University formed another theme. Then, too, 
the strong impress of Sir William Hamilton's personality 
as well as of his teaching was one of those things that 
delighted his Princeton pupils to notice, especially as seen 
in the way he treasured some remark of his great teacher. 
* Do you know the greatest thing he ever said to me ? ' Dr. 
McCosh asked one day of the writer. ' It was this : So 
reason as to have but one step between your premise and 
its conclusion.' The syllogism unified and turned into a 
rule of conduct ! Well might such a vigorous maxim take 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 431 

the imperative form. And how vividly real it made the act 
of reasoning seem ! It was toward the close of his student 
days at Edinburgh that Dr. McCosh wrote his essay en- 
titled ' The Stoic Philosophy,' in recognition of which the 
University, upon motion of Sir William Hamilton, con- 
ferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. 

" In 1835 he was licensed as a minister of the Established 
Church of Scotland. Toward the close of the same year he 
was elected, by the members of the congregation, minister of 
the Abbey church of Arbroath, the ' Fairport ' of Sir Wal- 
ter Scott's ' Antiquary,' a flourishing town in Forfarshire, on 
the eastern coast, sixteen miles north of Dundee. While in 
this parish he made the acquaintance of the Rev. Thomas 
Guthrie, eight years his senior, the minister of the neigh- 
boring parish of Arbilot, and afterwards so celebrated in the 
Old Greyfriars pulpit in Edinburgh. They were helpful to 
each other in their pastoral work and counsel, and formed 
the nucleus of a group of ministers who met to discuss 
with earnestness the impending dangers to the Church 
consequent upon 'intrusion' of ministers by the Crown 
upon congregations, irrespective of the preference of the 
people. They promptly identified themselves with the view 
that this subjection of the Church to the Crown was to be 
brought to an end, advocating, as Dr. McCosh had already 
done in his Edinburgh student days, what was known as 
Non-Intrusion. In 1838, on the suggestion of Dr. Welsh, 
his former teacher, Dr. McCosh was appointed by the 
Crown to the first charge of the church at Brechin, a short 
distance from Arbroath. Brechin was an attractive old 
cathedral town with a large outlying country parish. In 
this arduous charge he labored most assiduously in com- 
pany with his colleague, the Rev. A. L. R. Foote. Besides 
attending to his stated church ministrations and the regu- 
lar visiting of its congregation, he went abroad every- 



432 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

where, preaching the Gospel in barns, kitchens and taverns, 
or in the open fields and wherever else he could do good.^ 
His communion roll gradually swelled until it included four- 
teen hundred persons. Meanwhile the ecclesiastical sky was 
darkening. The disruption of the Church of Scotland was 
impending, and when, in 1843, it had become inevitable. Dr. 
McCosh, in common with hundreds of other ministers, sur- 
rendered his living. He at once proceeded to organize in 
his old parish a congregation of the Free Church, into 
which over eight hundred of his former parishioners fol- 
lowed him. He also rendered great service at this crisis 
by organizing new congregations, providing them with 
preachers, raising money and getting sites for the erection 
of new churches. 'A good horseman,' says one of his 
best newspaper biographies,^ ' he rode long distances from 
place to place and preached in barns, ball-rooms or fields, as 
was found necessary.' In 1843 and the following year he 
was a member of one of the deputations appointed by the 
General Assembly to visit various parts of England and 
arouse Non-conformist interest in the position of the Free 
Church. In 1845 he was married at Brechin to Miss Isa- 
bella Guthrie, daughter of the physician James Guthrie, and 
niece of Thomas Guthrie, his friend in his early ministry at 
Arbroath. 

" In this round of active life, with all its details and distrac- 
tions, he kept alive his philosophical thinking, and in 1850 
published, at Edinburgh, his ' Method of the Divine Govern- 
ment, Physical and Moral. '^ It was most favorably reviewed 

^ "Disruption Worthies. A Memorial of 1843." Edinburgh and London, 
1 88 1. The sketch of Dr. McCosh, written by Professor George Macloskie, is 
found on pp. 343-348. 

^ "The Scotsman," Edinburgh, November 19, 1894. 

^ " No sooner did McCosh's heavy though pleasant labors in founding con- 
gregations of the Free Church relax a little, than he began the composition 
of 'The Method of the Divine Government, Physical and Moral.' During 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 433 

by Hugh Miller and commended by Sir William Hamilton. 
It brought him at once into prominence as a philosophic 
writer of force and clearness.^ The story goes that Earl 
Clarendon, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, sitting down 

the period of writing the author received much encouragement from his 
intimate college friend, WilHam Hanna. It was he, likewise, who aided in 
the work incidental to publication. The author showed his book in manu- 
script to Dr. Cunningham and Dr. James Buchanan. Both approved, and 
the latter suggested some changes which were adopted. The volume was 
published in 1850, and through Dr. Guthrie copies were sent to the two 
Scotchmen then most eminent in the world of abstract thought. Sir William 
Hamilton and Hugh Miller. The former announced his decision at once : 
' It is refreshing to read a work so distinguished for originality and sound- 
ness of thinking, especially as coming from an author of our own- country.' 
Hugh Miller said in the ' Witness ' that the work was of the ' compact and 
thought-eliciting complexion which men do not willingly let die.' The first 
edition was exhausted in six months. An American edition was pub- 
lished very soon afterward, and that, too, sold rapidly. The book passed 
through twenty editions in less than forty years, and still has a sale in both 
Great Britian and America. Time, therefore, may be said to have passed its 
judgment upon the ' Divine Government.' " — Professor W. M. Sloane, "Life 
of McCosh." 

^ Some of Dr. Mc Cosh's Services to Philosophy. — The real importance of 
Dr. McCosh's work in philosophy was to a great extent obscured during his 
life by a certain lack of appreciation of which he occasionally complained. 
"They won't give me a hearing," he would say somewhat mournfully. And 
then he would cheer up under the assuring conviction that Realism, as it was 
the first, would also be the final, philosophy. Dr. McCosh's position in 
philosophy suffered during his life from a kind of reaction against the Scottish 
school, which had set in with Mill's destructive criticism of Hamilton. It 
was also materially affected by the strong movement in the direction of 
evolutionary empiricism of which Herbert Spencer was the exponent and 
leader. The dogmatic and positive tone of Dr. McCosh himself had doubt- 
less something to do with the tendency to undervalue his work. 

There are other circumstances which must not be overlooked in estimating 
the value of Dr. McCosh's philosophy. It scarcely ever happens that a man 
is the best judge of his own work, or that the things on which he puts the 
greatest stress possess the most permanent value. Much of Dr. McCosh's 
work is of a transitional character. His whole attitude toward evolution, for 
example, is that of a transitional thinker who, although hospitable to the new. 



434 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

to read a copy one Sunday morning, became so absorbed 
in the book that he missed going to church, and read on 
till evening without stopping, and soon after offered Dr. 
McCosh the chair of Logic and Metaphysics in the newly 

maintains, on the whole, the old points of view. Dr. McCosh, it may be said 
briefly, accepted evolution provisionally, but he could scarcely be called an 
evolution thinker. Again, it is true of Dr. McCosh, as of most other men, 
that the principle and content of his work must be distinguished from the 
form in which he embodied it. Generally it is a failure to distinguish the 
principle from the accidental form that constitutes one of the greatest limita- 
tions of any thinker. This is certainly true of Dr. McCosh. The essence of 
all his doctrines was so associated in his mind with a certain mode of con- 
ceiving and stating them as to make the form seem essential to the doctrine. 
An example of this is his theory of Natural Realism in the sphere of per- 
ception, in which a certain mode of apprehending the object was deemed 
essential to the assertion of reality itself. 

Leaving out of view, however, accidental features and elements of a merely 
transitional character, it seems to me that Dr. McCosh has contributed several 
elements of distinct value to the thinking of his time. One of these is to be 
found in his treatment of the Intuitions. At the time Dr. McCosh first 
became interested in the problems of speculation, Intuitionism had suffered a 
kind of eclipse in the writings of Sir William Hamilton, whose attempt to 
combine Scottish Epistemology with Kantian Metaphysics had resulted in a 
purely negative theory of such intuitive principles, for example, as causality. 
Dr. McCosh harked back to Reid and reasserted the pure Scottish position 
against the unnatural hybrid of the Hamiltonian metaphysics. But he is not 
to be regarded as simply a reasserter of Reid. His wide acquaintance with 
the history of philosophy, as well as his keener faculty of criticism, led to a 
more careful and discriminating analysis of the intuitive principles of the 
mind as well as to a more philosophical statement of them. He also con- 
nected them with the three epistemological functions of cognition, judgment 
and belief, in such a way as to bring them into closer relations with experience, 
and, by recognizing a distinction between their cognitive and rational forms, 
to admit the agency of an empirical process in their passage from the singular 
to the more general stage of their apprehension. Of course, where the reality 
of intuitive principles is denied. Dr. McCosh's interpretation of them will not 
be appreciated. But inasmuch as the affirmation of native elements in some 
form is likely to continue, the contribution of Dr. McCosh to Intuitional 
thinking is likely to be one of permanent value. The one point on which Dr. 
McCosh was most strenuous was that of Realism. He had a kind of phobia 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 435 

founded Queen's College in Belfast. Dr. McCosh accepted 
the offer, removing to Belfast in 1852, and continuing there 
until he came to Princeton. His class-room was notable in 
many ways, — for his brilliant lecturing, his interesting 

of all idealistic or phenomenal theories. This rendered him somewhat unduly 
impatient of these theories, and they sometimes receive scant justice at his 
hands. But whatever his faihngs as a critic, there was no ambiguity about 
his own point of view. He was the doughtiest kind of a realist, ready at all 
times to break a lance in defence of his belief Here, as elsewhere, in esti- 
mating the value of Dr. McCosh's work, it is necessary to observe the dis- 
tinction between the principle and the form of his doctrine. Perhaps few 
thinkers at present would accept the unmodified form of his realism. But 
the positions he had most at heart, namely, that philosophy must start with 
reality if it would end with it, and that philosophy misses its aim if it misses 
reality and stops in the negations of Positivism or Kantism, — these are positions 
which a very wide school of thinkers have very much at heart. Dr. McCosh's 
realism is a tonic which invigorates the spirit that comes into contact with it, 
and indisposes it to any sort of indolent acquiescence in a negative creed. 

In harking back to Reid, Dr. McCosh was recognizing intellectual kinship 
in more ways than one. The spirit of Reid, while pretty positive and dog- 
matic, was also inductive and observational. Reid hated speculation, and 
would not employ it except at the behest of practical needs. Dr. McCosh 
was a man of kindred spirit. His distrust of speculation amounted at times, 
I think, to a positive weakness. But his shrewd common sense, combined 
with a genius for observation and an intense love of fact, constituted perhaps 
the most marked quality of his mind. It has kept his work fresh and inter- 
esting, packed his books with new and interesting facts and shrewd observa- 
tions, and has made them rich treasure-houses for those who come after him. 
This is especially true in his psychological work. Here, where, on account 
of the rapid advance of Psychology in both method and content, the results 
of his generation of workers are fast becoming inadequate to the new demands, 
it ought not to be forgotten that Dr. McCosh was almost the pioneer of a 
new departure in Psychology in this country ; that his was the most potent 
voice in the advocacy of that marriage of the old science of introspection 
with Physiology, out of which the new Physiological Psychology arose ; that 
his example was most potent in advocating the substitution of an observa- 
tional for a closet Psychology ; and that while he contributed little to experi- 
mental results, the influence of his spirit and teaching was strongly favorable 
to them. 

Perhaps in the end it will be seen that Dr. McCosh rendered his most last- 



436 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

method of questioning, his sohcitude for his students and 
their enthusiasm for him. Besides fulfilHng his regular 
duties, he served as an examiner for the Queen's University 

ing service in the sphere of religious thought. In view of the tendency in 
many quarters to divorce Philosophy from Religion and insist that philosophy 
has no legitimate interest in the problems of reUgion, the attitude of Dr. 
McCosh is reassuring. That the problems of rehgion are the supreme and 
final questions in philosophy, and that no philosophy is adequate that is 
unable to find some rational justification, at least, for a Theistic view of the 
world, — these were points on which he insisted as cardinal. Dr. McCosh was 
a profound thinker who saw clearly the necessity of a metaphysical ground- 
work of both Morals and Religion. His own Theistic conviction was at all 
times firm and unclouded. But aside from the form of his own individual 
behefs, his insistence on the questions of God's existence and man's relation 
to Him as the vitalest issues of philosophy, contains an important lesson for 
the time. 

In this connection, also, his relation to the Evolution theory is noteworthy. 
It was in the religious aspect of this theory, and especially its bearing on 
Theism, that he was most vitally interested. He early saw that a Theistic 
conception of development was possible, and this prevented him from adopt- 
ing the view of its extreme opponents, and condemning it as necessarily 
atheistic and irrehgious. He maintained the possibility of conceiving evolu- 
tion from a Theistic basis as a feature of the Method of Divine Government, 
and this led him to take a hospitable attitude toward the evolution idea, while 
at the same time it enabled him to become the most formidable critic of 
evolution in its really atheistic and irreligious forms. This treatment of the 
problem of evolution by a religious thinker possesses more than a transitional 
value. It correctly embodies, I think, the wisest and most philosophical 
attitude which a religious mind can take toward the advances of science dur- 
ing that period of uncertainty which ordinarily precedes the final adjustment 
of the new into the framework of established truth. 

On the question of Dr. McCosh's originality, I think this may be said : 
While it is true that he has added no distinctively new idea to philosophy, 
yet his work possesses originality in that it not only responded to the demands 
of the time, but also bears the stamp of the author's striking and powerful 
individuality. The form of Dr. McCosh's discussions is always fresh, char- 
acteristic and original. He was an original worker, in that his work bore the 
stamp of his time and personality, and constituted part and parcel of the 
living energy of his generation. — Prof A. T. Ormond, "Princeton College 
Bulletin," January, 1896. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 437 

of Ireland, as a member of the distinguished Board of Ex- 
aminers who organized the first competitive examinations 
for the civil service of India, and as an examiner for the 
Furgusson Scholarships, open to graduates of Scottish 
Universities/ In 1858 he visited the principal schools and 
universities of Prussia, carefully acquainting himself with 
their organization and methods, and publishing his opinions 
regarding them in 1859. ^^ ^^^ ^^ Belfast he brought out 
his "Examination of Mr. J. S. Mill's Philosophy, Typical 
Forms and Special Ends in Creation " (in conjunction with 
Professor George Dickie)," The Intuitions of the Mind,"^ and 
" The Supernatural in Relation to the Natural." In his church 
relations he was both an active promoter of evangelical 
piety, and an efficient helper in ecclesiastical counsels. He 
helped to organize the Ministerial Support Fund of the Irish 
Presbyterian Church, seeking to evoke liberality and self- 

^ " The Northern Whig," Belfast, November 19, 1894. 

^ " The positive characterization of modern Princeton must begin with a 
description of its dominant mode of thinking, which is the philosophical. 
This is one of our many inheritances from Dr. McCosh. So habituated to 
this habit of mind is the Princeton teacher, that he hardly realizes the strength 
of this prevailing tendency. A Harvard man is apt to measure things by 
literary standards, and a Harvard graduate who comes as an instructor to 
Princeton is apt to be surprised to find how pervasive and all but universal 
is this philosophical temper here. It is this cast or mould of thinking, rather 
than strict uniformity in philosophical beliefs, which is the most striking 
feature of the University's intellectual life. Traditionally Princeton is com- 
mitted to a realistic metaphysics as opposed to agnosticism, materialism or 
idealism. The far-reaching importance of the last is, indeed, admitted ; but 
the maturer judgment of Princeton's philosophers inclines to the acknow- 
ledgment of ' a refractory element ' in experience, which, while ' without 
form and void,' unless enmeshed in the categories of Reason, refuses ' wholly 
to merge its being in a network of relations.' They prefer, therefore, to 
admit the existence of an htipasse to a complete intellectual unification of the 
universe, than to purchase metaphysical unity at the cost of surrendering the 
judgments of common sense, and at the risk of discovering that the hoped-for 
treasure is but dross at the last." — Prof. W. M. Daniels, "The Critic," Oct. 
24, 1896. 



438 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

support in view of the coming disendowment. In the face 
of much opposition, he advocated giving up the Regium 
Donum. Arguments he used in this discussion were after- 
wards influential with Mr. Gladstone in connection with the 
disestablishment of the Church of Ireland.^ He advocated 
a system of intermediate schools to prepare for higher insti- 
tutions of learning, and particularly labored for the great 
cause of a general system of national elementary schools. 
His own pupils attained marked success in the examinations 
for the civil service, and some of them became very emi- 
nent, — one of them being Sir Robert Hart, the present 
Chief of the Chinese Customs Service. He was not a man 
who could be hid, and so there is little to wonder at in the 
distinction he earned, whether evidenced by the respect of 
men like Chalmers, Guthrie, Hugh Miller, Sir William 
Hamilton, Dean Mansel, the present Duke of Argyll and 
Mr. Gladstone, the kindly humor of Thackeray or the flings 
of Ruskin and sharp rejoinders of John Stuart Mill. 

"Dr. McCosh paid his first visit to America in 1866, re- 
ceiving a hearty welcome. In June, 1868, he was called to 
the presidency of Princeton. He accepted the call after due 
deliberation, and arrived at Princeton on October 22 of the 
same year. The story of the low condition of Princeton at 
that time, consequent upon the Civil War, does not need to 

^ " The ecclesiastical condition of Ireland was at that time anomalous ; the 
rich EpiscopaHan minority being sustained as an Established Church ; a sop 
thrown to the Presbyterian middle-class minority in the shape of a Regium 
Donum, or partial endowment, which helped them to acquiesce in the wrong 
done to the Roman Catholic majority, who were poor and left out in the cold. 
When the right time arrived Dr. McCosh lectured and wrote in favor of Dis- 
establishment and Disendowment, and argued from his experience in Scot- 
land for the inauguration of a Sustentation Fund by the Irish Presbyterians. 
This was the opening of a struggle which ended in the carrying out of all his 
views, greatly to the furtherance of religion, as the people of Ireland now 
confess." — Professor Geo. Macloskie, in Sloane's "Life of McCosh," pp. 
120, 121. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 439 

be told here. So far as equipment and numbers can speak, 
the tale is soon told. Excepting a few professors' houses, 
there are now on the campus only four buildings which were 
owned by the College when Dr. McCosh arrived. They 
are Nassau Hall, the old President's (now the Dean's) 
house, the College Offices and West College. There were 
but sixteen instructors in the Faculty, and about two hun- 
dred and fifty students. 

" The institution was depleted, salaries were low, and 
academic standards had suffered both in the way of scholar- 
ship and discipline. It had been a discouraging time in 
Princeton's history, and the self-denial of President Maclean 
and the band of professors who went with the College 
through the war has been only too slightly appreciated. 
The writer entered Princeton as a freshman in January, 
1870, when the beginnings of Dr. McCosh's power were 
being manifested. His influence was like an electric shock, 
instantaneous, paralyzing to opposition, and stimulating to 
all who were not paralyzed. Old student disorders were 
taken in hand and throttled after a hard struggle, out-door 
sports and gymnastics were developed as aids to academic 
order, strong professors were added, the course of study was 
both deepened and widened, the ever-present energy of Dr. 
McCosh was daily in evidence, and great gifts were coming 
in. Every one felt the new life. When the Bonner- Mar- 
quand Gymnasium was opened, in 1870, the student cheer- 
ing was enough to rend the roof It was more than 
cheering for the new gymnasium, — it was for the new era. 

" It is not possible in this sketch to tell the story of the 
twenty years from 1868 to 1888, but the results may be in- 
dicated.^ The campus was enlarged and converted into a 

^ " A member of the first class that entered Princeton under the Presi- 
dency of Dr. McCosh, I am called here to speak not for myself alone, but in 
the name of two thousand old pupils who would pay the tribute of honor and 



440 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

splendid park, every detail of convenience and beauty being 
consulted in the transformation/ The old walks were re- 
placed with something substantial, grading and planting 

love to the memory of our grand old man. We loved him because he loved 
Princeton. He was born in Scotland, but he was born an American and 
Princetonian. If you could have opened his heart, you would have found 
' Princeton ' written there. He was firmly convinced that this college, with 
its history, its traditions, and its Christian faith, was predestinated to become 
one of the great American universities. ' It is the will of God,' he said, ' and 
I will do it.' A noble man, with a noble purpose, makes noble friends. 
Enthusiasm is contagious. Dr. McCosh laid the foundation of Princeton 
University broad, and deep, and strong ; and he left behind him a heritage 
of enthusiasm, a Princeton spirit which will complete his work and never 
suffer it to fail. We love him because he loved truth, and welcomed it from 
whatever quarter of the wide heaven it might come. He had great confidence 
in God as the source of truth and the eternal defender of His true word. He 
did not conceive that anything would be discovered which God had not made. 
He did not suppose that anything would be evolved which God had not 
intended from the beginning. The value of his philosophy of common sense 
was very great. But he taught his students something far more precious — 
to love reality in religion as in science, to respect all honest work, and to 
reverence every fact of nature and consciousness as a veritable revelation 
from Almighty God."— The Rev. Dr. Henry van Dyke: Address at Dr. 
McCosh's burial. 

^ " I remember," said Dr. McCosh, " the first view which I got of the 
pleasant height on which the College stands, the highest ground between the 
two great cities of the Union, looking down on a rich country, covered with 
wheat and corn, with apples and peaches, resembling the south of England as 
much as one country can be like another. Now we see that height covered 
with buildings, not inferior to those of any other college in America. I have 
had great pleasure in my hours of relaxation in laying out — always assisted 
by the late Rev. W. Harris, the treasurer of the College — the grounds and 
walks, and locating the buildings. I have laid them out somewhat on the 
model of the demesnes of English noblemen. I have always been healthiest 
when so employed. I remember the days, sunshiny or cloudy, in April and 
November, on which I cut down dozens of deformed trees and shrubs, and 
planted large numbers of new ones which will Hve when I am dead. I do not 
believe that I will be allowed to come back from the other world to this ; but 
if this were permitted, I might be allured to visit these scenes so dear to 
me, and to see the tribes on a morning go up to the house of God in com- 
panies." — " Life of Dr. McCosh," pp. 195, 196. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 441 

were carried out on an extensive scale, the drainage was re- 
modelled, and many other such things, which seem small 
separately, but mean so much collectively, were attended 
to. The following buildings were added : The Halsted 
Observatory in 1869, the Gymnasium in 1869-70, Reunion 
Hall and Dickinson Hall in 1870, the Chancellor Green 
Library and the John C. Green School of Science in 1873, 
University Hall in 1876, Witherspoon Hall in 1877, the 
Observatory of Instruction in 1878, Murray Hall in 1879, 
Edwards Hall in 1880, the Marquand Chapel in 1881, the 
Biological Laboratory in 1887, and the Art Museum about 
the same time. The administrative side of the College was 
invigorated in many ways, a dean being added to the 
executive officering in 1883. The Faculty was gradually 
built up by importation of professors from other institutions, 
and afterward by training Princeton men as well. Twenty- 
four of Dr. McCosh's pupils are now in the Faculty. 
The course of study was revised and made modern, with- 
out giving up the historic essentials of liberal education. 
Elective studies were introduced and developed, and the 
relating of the elective to the prescribed studies in one har- 
monious system was always kept in view. To the old aca- 
demic course of four years, leading to the degree of Bachelor 
of Arts, courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science 
and Civil Engineer were added, and graduate courses lead- 
ing to the university degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and 
Doctor of Science were organized.^ The entrance require- 

^ " Indeed, the traditional university constitution — a semi-monastic life, 
fixed terms of college residence, adherence to old academic custom, and a 
hierarchy of degrees — is found nowhere in more vigor than at Princeton. 
The true future of Princeton lies not in the development of professional 
schools, nor in the pursuit of utilitarian studies, but in both the college and 
the graduate department is inseparably bound up with the cause of pure 
academic culture and learning." — Prof. W. M. Daniels, "The Critic," October 
24, 1896. 



442 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

merits were improved in quality and were exacted with more 
firmness. The interior relations of the various departments 
of study to each other and to the general culture of the stu- 
dent were gradually better adjusted, and beginnings of 
specialized study founded on general culture were instituted. 
The use of the library was made of importance as a help 
to the student's regular class work. The two Hterary so- 
cieties, Whig and Clio, were relieved of the distress under 
which they had suffered from secret societies by exterminat- 
ing these societies, and helped in their friendly rivalry by 
the establishment of additional college honors open to their 
competition. Old class-room and chapel disorders slowly 
gave way before better buildings and improved instruction. 
Useful auxiliaries to the curriculum were encouraged, and, 
in particular, the President's ' Library Meeting ' was started. 
Here, month after month, the upper classmen met in large 
numbers to hear some paper by Dr. McCosh, some pro- 
fessor from Princeton or elsewhere, some bright alumnus 
or scholar unattached to a university. Distinguished 
strangers got into the habit of coming to see the College, 
and such visits as those of General Grant and other Ameri- 
can dignitaries, and of the German professors Dorner and 
Christlieb, of the Duke of Argyll, of Froude and of Matthew 
Arnold, were greatly enjoyed. And so, by slowly working 
agencies, a change in the way of growth, now rapid and 
now apparently checked, was taking place. The impover- 
ished small College was being renovated, uplifted and ex- 
panded. It was put on its way toward a university life.-^ 

^ " I think it proper to state," wrote Dr. McCosh, " that I meant all along 
that these new and varied studies, with their groupings and combinations, 
should lead to the formation of a Studmm Gejierale, which was supposed in 
the Middle Ages to constitute a university. At one time I cherished a hope 
that I might be honored to introduce such a measure. From my intimate 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 443 

Its Faculty and students increased until in 1888 the sixteen 
instructors had become a body of forty-three, and the stu- 
dents were over six hundred. Yet this gratifying increase 
is not the great thing. It might have come and amounted 
to little more than a diffusion of weakness. But it was quali- 
tative as well as quantitative, for the College was steadily 
producing a body of better and better trained men, and a 
body of men having an intense esprit du corps of great 
value for the future solidarity of Princeton. For Dr. Mc- 
Cosh not only left his indelible mark upon them singly, but 
fused their youthful enthusiasms into one mastering passion 
for Princeton as a coming university, democratic in its stu- 
dent life, moved by the ideas of discipline and duty, unified 
in its intellectual culture, open to new knowledge, and Chris- 
tian to the core. 

"His relations with the students were intimate and based 
on his fixed conviction that upon them ultimately rested the 
fate of Princeton. This conviction meant more than that he 
saw in young men the coming men. ' A college depends,' 
he once said, ' not on its president or trustees or profes- 
sors, but on the character of the students and the homes 
they come from. If these change, nothing can stop the 
college changing.' To his eyes the movement that deter- 

acquaintance with the system of Princeton and other colleges, I was so vain as 
to think that out of our available materials I could have constructed a uni- 
versity of a high order. I would have embraced in it all that is good in our 
college ; in particular, I would have seen that it was pervaded with religion, 
as the college is. I was sure that such a step would have been followed by 
a large outflow of liberality on the part of the public, such as we enjoyed in 
the early days of my presidency. We had had the former rain, and I hoped 
we might have the latter rain, and we could have given the institution a wider 
range of usefulness in the introduction of new branches and the extension 
of post-graduate studies. But this privilege has been denied me." — " Life of 
McCosh," pp. 213, 214. 



444 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

mined everything was the movement from below upward 
and outward, and the business of president, trustees and 
professors was to make this mass of raw material into the 
best product possible ; but, first of all, the material must be 
sound if there is to be success in the product. The phi- 
losopher of elemental reality^ was never more true to his 
principles than just here. Given, however, a body of 
students of sound stock, he felt sure the desired results in 
their discipline and culture were obtainable by intelligent 
and patient treatment. First of all, as the negative condi- 
tion of success, he insisted that idleness must be done away 
with or no progress would be possible. ' If they are idle 
you can do nothing with them,' was one of his axioms, — 
nothing to prevent the positive vices to which idleness 
gives occasion, and nothing to develop the mind by whole- 
some exercise. Next on his programme came an orderly 
and regular course of study to be pursued by the student 
without faltering. Then in order to bind all the student's life 
into one and place him in the right direction, he depended 
upon the sense of moral responsibility, quickened and ener- 

^ " The last address by Dr. McCosh in this chapel was a memorable one. 
It was given several years ago, on a Sunday evening, in the simple religious 
service held here in the close of the day. He had been asked repeatedly 
once more to preach in the pulpit, from which he had so often spoken, but 
had declined from a fear that he might not be able to endure the strain. 
This simple and less exhausting service he readily undertook. 

" On the occasion to which I refer he read, with a touching emphasis, St. 
Paul's 13th Chapter of First Corinthians, that wonderful chapter in which the 
apostle discourses on Charity. Having ended the reading, he gave a brief 
analysis of its points, remarking on the great climax of the last verse : ' And 
now abideth Faith, Hope and Charity, but the greatest of these is Charity.' 
Then he announced his purpose of saying a few words on the first clause of 
the 9th verse, and read it slowly, and those who heard it will not forget the 
scene as he said, ' For we know in part,' instantly adding, with an almost 
triumphant tone, ' But we know. " — Dr. James O. Murray : Address at the 
Funeral. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 445 

gized by Christian truth. ^ It was a simple programme, 
and great as it was simple.^ 

"His capacity for detail was marvellous, and hence he could 

^ " I should sadly fail in doing any justice to the memory of Dr. McCosh 
did I not lay a special emphasis on the Christian element in his administration. 
Amid all his high ambitions and large plans and unsparing labors for the 
College, he never forgot, and his Faculty was never allowed to forget, that it 
should maintain the character and do the work of a Christian college. He 
believed profoundly that education must have a Christian basis. He was 
loyal to all the traditions of the past, and he sought to administer the office 
he held in the spirit of its noble charter. It was under his guidance that the 
practice of administering the Holy Communion at the beginning and close of 
the college year was instituted. Is was to him a source of the truest joy 
when this beautiful chapel was reared by the generosity of its donor. He 
wrote the graceful inscription on yonder tablet. In private and in pubHc, in 
active cooperation with the Christian Society of the College, in many a con- 
fidential talk with his students on the great themes of reUgion, he sought 
always to develop the Christian element in college life. I do not think he 
favored the idea of a College Church. In fact, though a Presbyterian by deep 
conviction, he avoided anything which would divert attention from his own aim 
to make the College Christian rather than denominational. The catholicity 
of his spirit here was full and large. The legacy of devotion to the Christian 
element in college life he has left us is indeed a sacred and abiding one." — 
Dr. James O. Murray: Address at the Funeral. 

" " What a figure he has been in Princeton's history ! I need not describe 
him. You can never forget him. You see him — tall, majestic; his fine 
head resting on stooping shoulders ; his classic face ; with a voice like a 
trumpet ; magisterial ; with no mock humility ; expecting the full deference 
that was due his office, his years and his work. Here is the fruit of his life : 
the books he has written ; the college that he has built ; the alumni all over 
the land who are his grateful pupils. 

"Through a quarter of a century and more he lived among us — a stalwart 
man, with an iron will : no mimosa he, sensitive, shrinking and shrivelling at 
the touch of criticism ; but a sturdy oak that storms might wrestle with but 
only heaven's lightning could hurt. Loyal to conscience — deep in convic- 
tion — tender of heart — living in communion with God, and loving the 
Word of God as he loved no other book — he was the President who woke 
the admiration, and touched the hearts, and kindled the enthusiasm of 
Princeton men. No wonder they were proud of him ! " — President Patton's 
Memorial Sermon. 



446 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

meet special individual needs as well as plan on the general 
scale. It seems as though his sanity of judgment and con- 
stant endeavor to develop normal character was the very 
thing that enabled him to recognize the kind and extent of 
departure from the normal standard in any student at any 
stage of development. Once he met a rather pompous un- 
dergraduate who announced with some impressiveness that 
he could no longer stay in the church of his fathers, as he 
needed something more satisfying, and that he felt it proper 
to acquaint Dr. McCosh with the great fact. The sole reply 
was, 'You '11 do no such thing.' And so it turned out. In 
answer to a cautiously worded long question put by a mem- 
ber of the Faculty in order to discover whether some one 
charged with a certain duty had actually performed it, the 
answer came like a shot, ' He did.' No more ! How 
short he could be ! To an instructor in philosophy whom 
he wished to impress with the reality of the external world 
as against the teachings of idealism, he said, with a sweep of 
his hand toward the horizon, ' It is there, it is there ! You 
know it ! Teach it ! ' Then, too, he was shrewd. In the case 
of a student who pleaded innocence, though his delinquency 
was apparent to the doctor, who nevertheless wanted to be 
easy with him, the verdict was, * I accept your statement. 
You '11 not do so again.' On one occasion a visiting cler- 
gyman conducting evening chapel service made an elabo- 
rate prayer, including in his petitions all the officers of the 
College, arranged in order, from President to trustees, pro- 
fessors and tutors. There was great applause at the last 
item. At the Faculty meeting immediately after the service, 
the doctor, in commenting upon the disorder, aptly remarked: 
' He should have had more sense than to pray for the 
tutors.' His consciousness of mastery was so naive that 
he cared little for surface disorder in the class-room, so far 
as his confidence in being able to meet it was involved, but 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 447 

cared a great deal if he found himself at a dead point in the 
course over which he felt he must carry the class. ^ Here 
the dullards, the apathetic, the drones, the light-witted and 
especially the provokers of disorder came in for a castigation 
of the most interesting kind. * Sit down, sir,' sometimes 
served both to suppress a tumult and at the same time 
waken a mind that had never been awake before. He 
could talk to men with a severity and tone of command few 
would dare employ. Though the most indifferent could 
not fail to see he was terribly in earnest at times, they also 
saw his hearty and deep affection for them. 'A man of 
granite with the heart of a child ' is an undergraduate's 
estimate of the old doctor.^ 

^ " Dr. McCosh was preeminently a teacher. His place with Wayland, and 
Mark Hopkins, and Woolsey among the great College Presidents of America 
is due in no small degree to the fact that, like them, he was a teacher. I 
know that I speak the sentiments of some who hold a position similar to 
mine in other institutions, when I say that the increase of executive duties 
that draws the President from the class-room is a misfortune. It would have 
been an irreparable loss, to be made up by no amount of efficiency and suc- 
cess in other directions, for Dr. McCosh to have withdrawn from the position 
of a teacher while he was able to teach. For he was a superb teacher. He 
knew what he believed and why he beheved it, and he taught it with a moral 
earnestness that enforced attention. . . . There are teachers who handle a 
great subject in a great way, with no lack of sympathy or humor, and a large 
knowledge of human nature ; who win your confidence, and stimulate your 
ambition ; who make you eager to read ; and who send you out of the lec- 
ture-room with your heart divided between your admiration of the man and 
your interest in his theme. Dr. McCosh was a teacher of this kind. No 
mere closet-philosopher was he ; no cold-blooded overseer ; but a teaching 
member of the Faculty in which he sat ; a man of heart as well as brain ; who 
could feel as well as think; and who could be both hot and tender." — Presi- 
dent Patton's Memorial Sermon. 

^ " In matters of administration Dr. McCosh, without being in any sense 
autocratic, managed to exercise a good deal of authority. For there is no 
nice provision of checks and balances in the government of a college. The 
three estates of Trustees, Faculty and Undergraduates constitute an organ- 
ism that furnishes a fine opportunity for experiments in political theories. 



448 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

" A pleasant picture of the impression he made on another 
man of simple heart and strong nature is preserved in a 
letter of President Mark Hopkins, of Williams College, 
written after Dr. McCosh had visited Williamstown. It 
may well be inserted here. ' That visit,' he writes, ' is 
among my most pleasant recollections. It was during the 
summer vacation ; the weather was fine, and we were quite 
at leisure to stroll about the grounds and ride over the hills. 
Riding thus, we reached, I remember, a point which he said 
reminded him of Scotland. There we alighted. At once 
he bounded into the field like a young man, passed up the 
hillside, and, casting himself at full length under a shade, 
gave himself up for a time to the associations and inspira- 
tion of the scene. I seem to see him now, a man of world- 
wide reputation, lying thus solitary among the hills. They 
were draped in a dreamy haze suggestive of poetic inspira- 
tion, and, from his quiet but evidently intense enjoyment, he 
might well, if he had not been a great metaphysician, have 

The government may be monarchical or repubHcan or patriarchal. It may 
do its work after the fashion of the American Congress or the English Par- 
liament. It may be uni-cameral or bi-cameral, as the Trustees choose or do 
not choose to put all power in the hands of the Faculty. But by the charter 
of the College the President is invested with a power that belongs to no one 
else. He ought to be very discreet, very wise, very open to suggestion, and 
very good-natured : but when he is sure that he is right, very resolute. I 
imagine that Dr. McCosh was as good a man as one could find anywhere to 
have so much power in his hands. He had the insight to know when the 
Trustees were more important than the Faculty, and when the Faculty were 
wiser than the Trustees : and he belonged to both bodies. He was shrewd, 
sagacious, penetrating and masterful. If there had been a weatherwise man 
among us, he would sometimes have hoisted the storm-signals over the Col- 
lege Offices : for the Doctor was a man of hke passions with us all. He car- 
ried the in loco parentis theory of government further than some are disposed 
to have it carried to-day. The students loved him, and he loved them. He 
was faithful with them ; spoke plainly to them ; as a father with his sons he 
was severe; and also as a father he was tender and kind." — President Pat- 
ton's Memorial Sermon. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 449 

been taken for a great poet. And, indeed, though he had 
revealed himself chiefly on the metaphysical side, it was 
evident that he shared largely in that happy temperament 
of which Shakespeare and Tennyson are the best examples, 
in which metaphysics and poetry seem to be fused into one 
and become identical.'^ 

" About his personality numberless stories have gath- 
ered, illustrative of his various traits. He was the constant 
theme of student talk, even to his slightest peculiarities. 
The ' young barbarians all at play ' were fond of these, and 
yet with reverence for him. Who can forget the various 
class-room and chapel incidents ? Who will ever forget 
some of the doctor's favorite hymns ? No one, surely, who 
heard two of them sung with deep tenderness at his 
burial.^ 

" Dr. McCosh gave up the presidency June 20, 1888, pass- 
ing the remainder of his days at his newly built home on 
Prospect Avenue. His figure was well known among us 

^ New York " Observer," Thursday, May 13, 1869. 

2 JAMES McCOSH, 1811-1894. 
Young to the end, through sympathy with you, 
Gray man of learning ! champion of truth ! 
Direct in rugged speech, alert in mind, 
He felt his kinship with all human kind. 
And never feared to trace development 
Of high from low — assured and full content 
That man paid homage to the Mind above, 
Uplifted by the " Royal Law of Love." 

The laws of nature that he loved to trace 
Have worked, at last, to veil from us his face ; 
The dear old elms and ivy-covered walls 
Will miss his presence, and the stately halls 
His trumpet-voice. While in their joys 
Sorrow will shadow those he called " my boys." 
November 17, 1894. Robert Bridges, '79. 



450 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

these last years, as he took his walks in the village, or out 
into the country, or under the elms of the McCosh Walk, 
or sat in his place in the Marquand Chapel. His interest 
in the College never abated. Yet he did not interfere in it 
after he left it. As President Patton has observed, ' He 
was more than a model President. He was a model ex- 
President' Nor did he lose sight of ' my boys,' his 
former pupils. At the annual reunions of classes it became 
the custom to march in a body to see him at his home. He 
' knew them,' even if not always by name. Yet he would 
astonish many a one by recalling some personal incident 
that might well be supposed to be forgotten. Nearly one 
hundred and twenty of his pupils have followed his example 
in devoting themselves to the cause of the higher learning. 
Some of them may have failed to follow the doctor's phi- 
losophy in all its bearings, some may have diverged other- 
wise, but no one, I feel sure, has failed to carry away 
a conviction of the reality of truth and of the nobility of 
pursuing it, as well as at least a reverence for the Christian 
religion. On April i, 1891, his eightieth birthday occurred. 
It was duly honored.^ The day was literally given over 
to the old doctor. The President, the Trustees, the Faculty 
as a body, the students, the alumni, the residents of Prince- 
ton and distant personal friends were present or represented. 
His last really public appearance was at the International 
Congress of Education held in connection with the World's 
Columbian Exhibition at Chicago in July, 1893. The 
popular interest and the interest of educators in him were 
such as to make him the most noted figure there. Other 
presidents and institutions joined cordially in doing him 
honor, and his presence at the Princeton section of the 
university exhibits was the occasion for a demonstration of 
affection from his old pupils. 

^ See " Harper's Weekly," April, 1891. 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 451 

"On Sunday, October 28, 1894, he was, as usual, in his 
place in the chapel. It was his last appearance there. 
Within a day or two he gave such evidence of failing 
strength that his end was seen to be near. Without the 
stroke of disease, clear-minded to the last, at his own home 
and surrounded by all his family, he peacefully passed 
away at ten o'clock in the night of Friday, November 16, 
1894. The students whom he had never taught, but who 
loved him, rang the bell of Nassau Hall to tell Princeton 
that Dr. McCosh was dead. 

'' Fortis vir sapiensque is part of the epitaph of one of the 
Scipios. It describes Dr. McCosh. But he was more than 
a strong and wise man. He discerned," concludes Pro- 
fessor West, "so far as to distinguish between the transient 
and the enduring, the illusory and the real, in character, in 
thought, in education and in religion. He sought and laid 
hold on ' the things that cannot be shaken.' And they will 
'remain.' For, as one of his pupils well said when we 
turned home from his grave, ' He was himself one of the 
evidences of the Christian religion.'"^ With this account 
of Dr. McCosh and of his administration — the last of the 
completed administrations of the Presidents — this historical 
sketch may appropriately be closed. On the resignation of 

^ " He was a great man, and he was a good man. Eager as he was for the 
material and intellectual advancement of the College, he thought even more of 
its moral and religious tone. He was an earnest and able preacher, and his 
trumpet gave no uncertain sound. Alike in speculative philosophy and in 
practical morals he was always on the Christian side. He never stood in a 
doubtful attitude towards the Gospel, and never spoke a word that would 
compromise its truths. So that when I think of his long career and what he 
did and how he lived, I am reminded of the apostle who was so consciously 
devoted to the service of the Gospel that he could not conceive himself as 
under any circumstances doing anything that would hinder it ; and who said, 
in the words that I have placed at the beginning of this discourse : ' We can 
do nothing against the truth but for the truth.'" — President Patton's 
Memorial Sermon. 



452 PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

Dr. McCosh, the Trustees elected, as his successor, the 
Rev. Dr. Francis Landey Patton, Professor of Ethics in 
the College, Professor also in Princeton Theological Semi- 
nary. He was inaugurated as President on the twentieth 
of June, 1888. Those who, on that occasion, spoke for 
the Faculty and the Alumni, while expressing gratitude 
for the past career of the College and loyalty to its "dis- 
tinctly Christian basis," expressed the hope also that the 
name University would soon be adopted. " We shall be 
glad," said Dr. Henry van Dyke, speaking for the Alumni, 
"when the last swaddling-band of an outgrown name drops 
from the infant, and ' the College of New Jersey ' stands up 
straight in the centre of the Middle States as the University 
of Princeton." The new President, sharing in the general 
desire, answered, in his inaugural discourse, the questions, 
"What is a university?" and "What kind of a university 
ought Princeton to be ? " 

Inheriting thus from the previous administration the ideal 
of a University, and the beginnings of its realization. Presi- 
dent Patton has labored with conspicuous success to make 
this ideal actual. The Faculty of Instruction has been 
largely increased, the departments have been more highly 
organized, and additional courses for undergraduates and 
graduate students have been established. The number of 
students during the first eight years of the present adminis- 
tration rose from six hundred to eleven hundred ; and more 
states and countries are represented in the student body 
to-day than at any previous period. Leaving out of view 
the gifts and foundations which have been made in connec- 
tion with the Sesquicentennial Celebration, not only were 
additional endowments given and real property of great 
value to the College acquired during the eight years re- 
ferred to, but as many as eight new buildings were erected. 

This exceptionally rapid development of the institution, 



PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 453 

along the lines already indicated, during the present admin- 
istration and the administration immediately preceding it, 
determined the Board of Trustees to apply for a change in 
its corporate name. It was thought that the one hundred 
and fiftieth anniversary of the grant of the first charter 
would offer a suitable occasion for the change of the name 
from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University, 
and the Sesquicentennial Celebration was projected. In this 
celebration the President of the United States, the Governor 
of New Jersey, Representatives of Foreign Universities 
and of the Universities and Learned Societies of the United 
States, united with the President, the Trustees, the Faculty, 
the Patrons, the Alumni and the Undergraduates of the 
College, and the citizens of Princeton, in commemorating 
with joy and gratitude the great and beneficent career of the 
College of New Jersey. The appropriateness of the cele- 
bration and the propriety of the new name were cordially 
and unanimously acknowledged. The addresses during 
the celebration, and the responses to the invitations to assist 
in the Academic festival, embodied the feeling expressed in 
the legend inscribed on one of the arches : 

AVE SALVE VNIVERSITAS PRINCETONIENSIS. 



[ While writing the historical sketch, I had many conversations with Dr. 
Shields, and am under great obligations to him for valuable information and 
suggestions. In these conversations he developed a view of the specific aims 
of the original projectors of the College and of the relations between the two 
charters which does not agree with the view presented by myself in the fore- 
going pages. At my request. Dr. Shields has embodied his view in a note on 
" The Origin of Princeton University " ; and the note is here subjoined. 

John De Witt.] 



THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY. 
By Professor Charles W. Shields. 

In the year 1755, on the completion of Nassau Hall, the Trustees ad- 
dressed Governor Belcher as " the founder, patron and benefactor of the 
College of New Jersey." His right to this title, thus authoritatively bestowed, 
had been established by several eminent services which now show their fruit 
in the character and life of Princeton University. 

First. He legalized the College. The charter held at that time [1747] by 
Pemberton, Burr, Tennent, Finley and others was under suspicion and dis- 
cussion. The previous royal Governor had refused to grant it. It had been 
obtained, in the absence of a succeeding Governor, from a mere President of 
the Council, who was old and infirm. It had not been approved by the 
Council, nor sent to the home government for ratification. It did not even 
contain any provision for a representative of the Crown in the College man- 
agement. It lacked the most essential elements of legality. In these circum- 
stances Governor Belcher took the legal advice of Chief Justice Kinsey of 
Pennsylvania, and deferred the first commencement until he could frame " a 

455 



456 THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

new and better charter," which was unanimously approved by the Council, 
and endorsed by the Attorney-General as containing nothing inconsistent 
with His Majesty's interest or honor. By this new charter the royal Gov- 
ernor was made ex-officio president of the College corporation, and all the 
Trustees were bound by stringent oaths of allegiance. The Governor did 
not rest satisfied until four of the King's councillors had been admitted to 
seats in the Board of Trust, and the Treasurer of the Province had been 
elected Treasurer of the College. In various ways he secured the validity of 
the charter, and thus made Princeton University possible and perpetual as a 
legal entity. 

Second. He secularized the College in a good sense. In the first charter 
there were but three laymen — William Smith, Livingston, Peartree Smith — 
named with nine clergymen — Dickinson, Pearson, Pemberton, Burr, Gilbert 
Tennent, WiUiam Tennent, Blair, Treat, Finley. Governor Belcher made the 
lay equal the clerical corporators in number, and gave the King's councillors, 
esquires, and gentlemen precedence of the ministers, according to existing 
usages in His Majesty's province. It is not surprising that he found it diffi- 
cult to persuade both Mr. Burr and Mr. Tennent that this was a good arrange- 
ment. They desired a preparatory college for ministers, or at most a clerical 
college for the education of the youth of the Church ; while he wished all the 
learned professions represented in the governing body, with no preference or 
predominance of divinity. He thus saved Princeton University at its origin 
from excessive clericalism and ecclesiasticism. 

Third. He liberalized the College in its spirit. The non-denominational 
clause was in both charters, and does not bear upon the point. No charter 
could have been legally obtained without that clause. It was required by the 
fundamental law of the province, as the language of the document shows. 
Moreover, the Episcopalian churchmen in the King's Council would never 
have allowed a so-called "dissenting" college such as Presbyterian church- 
men alone would have founded. The liberality of the parties, therefore, was 
necessary, politic, advantageous, creditable in all respects. But it was Gov- 
ernor Belcher who made the generous compromise possible and effective. 
He not only retained all the Presbyterian churchmen in the new Board, but he 
associated with them representatives of the Church of England, of the Society 
of Friends, of the Reformed Dutch and Welsh Calvinists, as equally governors 
of the College, and not as mere sharers in its privileges. He thus early 
imparted to it that character of catholic orthodoxy which Princeton Uni- 
versity still possesses. 

Fourth. He was foremost in nationalizing the College. But for his com- 
prehensive policy, Pemberton and Burr might have founded some local col- 
lege in East Jersey, or Tennent and Davies might have founded some sectional 



THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 45T 

college in Pennsylvania. All these ministers were then involved in a church 
schism and, at best, could only have united in a colonial Presbyterian insti- 
tution. Retaining them in the new College, he made it a unifying centre 
amid their ecclesiastical disputes and divisions ; drew representative men from 
other colonies into its corporation ; urged its location at Princeton, between 
West and East Jersey ; united New York and Philadelphia influences in its 
counsels ; and corresponded with its friends from New England to Virginia. 
By connecting it with the State rather than the Church, and by introducing 
civilians among its divines, he combined civil with ecclesiastical tendencies to 
colonial unity, and thus laid the foundations, for Witherspoon, of a school of 
statesmen as well as a nursery of ministers ; in other words, of a future na- 
tional university. 

Lastly, he made the College financially secure on this enlarged basis. It 
was at the point of failure for want of funds. Both Pemberton and Burr, not- 
withstanding his urgent solicitation, had dechned to visit the mother country 
on a collecting tour. He found cordial helpers in Davies and Tennent ; in- 
duced them to procure a recommendation of the Synod ; and gave them his 
own influential letters, by means of which they obtained contributions from 
English churchmen and non-conformists as well as from Scotch and Irish 
Presbyterians. The total amount secured by the mission was sufficient for 
the erection of the largest public edifice in the colonies, and about one half 
of it came from non-Presbyterian contributors, such as the Bishop of Dur- 
ham, the Lady Huntingdon Connexion, the Independents and Baptists, in- 
cluding some distinguished scholars. The facts clearly show that these con- 
tributions were due to the catholic policy of the governor. He thus made 
Nassau Hall a monument of the united gifts of England, Scotland and Ireland 
to the cause of Christian learning in America. 

It is now evident, I think, that Governor Belcher was rightly called the 
founder of the College. What were the circumstances ? On arriving in the 
Colony, he discovered that, in the interim since the death of the preceding 
Governor, a college had been projected with a new royal charter which re- 
quired his official notice. Placing himself in cordial sympathy with the 
movement, he announced his behef that some public educational institution 
was greatly needed by the inhabitants of New Jersey. And yet, as the King's 
representative, he could not leave so weighty a civil interest in the hands of a 
few clergymen, however excellent they might be. Moreover, he found that 
their proposed college was of dubious legahty ; that there was not a trace of 
it in the public records; that it was wholly denominational in its manage- 
ment ; that it was impracticable under existing conditions in a royal province 
attached to the Bishop of London ; and that it would soon have perished 
utterly, with all that was good and noble in it. In a most generous spirit 



458 THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

he took its projectors into his own counsels ; rescued its best elements 
and founded in its place another and different college, which was a strictly 
legal corporation, largely civil in its constitution, and intended for the higher 
education of the whole province, including all religious denominations. In 
contrast with the previous project, it was described at that time as " a most 
cathohc plan containing no exclusive clauses to deprive persons of any Chris- 
tain denomination either from its Government or from any of its Privileges." 
It differed from the former project somewhat as a state university differs from 
a church college and divinity school, or as Princeton University now differs 
from Lafayette College and Princeton Theological Seminary. 

It is also evident that to Governor Belcher must be traced the present 
university spirit of the College. The Presbyterian churchmen would have 
founded an exclusively Presbyterian institution, in a denominational spirit, 
for an ecclesiastical purpose. It was no more their aim than their province 
to found a State university including all denominations. They had been 
laboring to found a synodical college, which they relinquished only because of 
a schism in the Synod itself " Their governing motive," says Dr. Maclean, 
"was to provide for the youth of their Church, and more especially for their 
candidates for the ministry, a thorough training in all the various branches 
of a liberal education, including as a matter of the highest interest full instruc- 
tion in the doctrines of the Christian faith according to their understanding of 
them." Instead of thus narrowing and bounding the field of liberal culture 
in his civil domain, the Governor devised for them a more ample charter, 
which by its terms gave to them no exclusive control as Presbyterians over 
" the education of the youth of this province in the liberal arts and sciences," 
but simply provided by implication for the maintenance of that essential 
Christianity which is common to all denominations. And, according to the 
plain intent and scope of this charter, the Governor organized the College, as 
we have seen, with a board of civilians and divines, with different denomina- 
tions represented by the charter members and their first successors, and 
with equal reference to all the learned professions, the secular as well as the 
sacred. It is true, that after his decease the policy grew more denomina- 
tional and ecclesiastical until the emergence of Princeton Seminary, when, as 
Dr. Hodge informs us, " the Trustees agreed to withdraw from theological 
instruction in preparation for the ministry." But it is also true that from the 
first the governor aimed to make the College of New Jersey in spirit what it 
has become in fact and in name — Princeton University. And nobly has it 
at last fulfilled the aim of its founder. 

The comparative neglect of his name and services may be easily explained. 
At the Revolution we came under patriotic influences which threw into the 
shade much that was good and noble in our colonial life, and made it diffi- 



THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 459 

cult to appreciate a loyalist governor as a public benefactor. Our later 
historians, too, have unwittingly robbed him of credit by giving it to some 
of his coadjutors. Because the names of Dickinson, Pierson, Pemberton and 
Burr appear alone in a New York advertisement of 1747, it has been inferred, 
naturally, that they were the sole originators of the College ; and upon this 
assumption successive histories and sketches have been written for nearly a 
hundred years. But recently discovered papers show us that these four 
ministers were associated in their project with the Tennents, Blair, Finley 
and others, and could not have been the exclusive founders or builders of the 
College. Dickinson, unhappily, died before it was legally organized. Burr 
was made its President by Governor Belcher's composite Board of Trustees, 
and, of course, only voiced their policy in his inaugural address. Pemberton 
retired from its trusteeship to Boston before it was settled at Princeton. 
Both Pemberton and Burr failed to rescue it at a crisis when it would have 
perished but for the energetic efforts of Belcher, as seconded by the eloquent 
appeals of Davies and Tennent in Great Britain. Without those efforts the 
Latin School at Newark could not have become Princeton College. More- 
over, in contrast with recent historians, the earliest known historian, Samuel 
Blair the Second, in 1761, acting as the official historiographer, distinctly 
ascribed the origin of the College to His Excellency Jonathan Belcher, at 
that time governor, and classed the College of the first charter among pre- 
vious " disappointments and fruitless attempts to plant and cherish learning 
in the province of New Jersey." 

Finally, our recent historians, while justly praising the three " pioneer 
Presidents," have quite overlooked the founder, patron and benefactor of the 
College. The great Dickinson has the titular distinction of First President, 
since from the beginning he held that place in the minds of all parties ; and 
his claim to the honor will not be questioned by any loyal son of Princeton. 
Aaron Burr, the first President who conferred degrees, seems to have con- 
fined himself to the duties of instruction during the ten years of his adminis- 
tration. Jonathan Edwards was President but two or three weeks. The 
plain fact remains that the College, as we know it, was founded and erected 
by Governor Belcher with the aid of Tennent and Davies, and in the line of 
that succession has continued one hundred and forty years until the present 
day. The New England influence impressed upon Princeton University at 
its origin was not the " iron heel of mighty Edwards," of which Oliver Wen- 
dell Holmes has sung, but the liberal hand of Jonathan Belcher, representing 
another type of culture as well as orthodoxy. 

It is but simple justice to a forgotten benefactor to state these historical 
facts. They involve no disparagement of any of his clerical coadjutors, who 
themselves gladly surrendered their own scheme and accepted his potent 



460 THE ORIGIN OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 

leadership. Their praiseworthy aims as churchmen were not inconsistent 
with his larger views as governor of the province. He was himself in per- 
fect sympathy with them as an evangeHcal Christian, as a thorough Calvinist 
of the Whitefield type, as an admirer of " the pious and learned Dickinson," 
and even as a churchman of the evangelical school. But he was also much 
more than all this. He was an enlightened, far-seeing statesman, with influ- 
ence at court. He was a classical scholar, with a taste for learning. He was 
a former Harvard graduate and overseer, versed in academic studies and 
educational matters. He was an efficient man of affairs, with a long public 
record. He was a ruler ambitious of the best kind of fame. He was a 
royal patron of a college which he styled his adopted daughter and the 
alma mater of coming generations of scholars, divines and statesmen. He, 
and he alone, at that time had both the opportunity and the disposition to 
lay the foundations of a great Christian university. 

During his own lifetime he was the accepted founder of the institution. 
The Trustees of his day, including the petitioners for the former charter, so 
entitled him, and wished to have the College Hall bear the name of Belcher, 
after the manner of Harvard and Yale. " As the College of New Jersey," 
said they, " views you in the light of its founder, patron and benefactor, and 
the impartial world will esteem it a respect deservedly due to the name of 
Belcher, permit us to dignify the edifice now erecting at Princeton with that 
endeared appellation ; and when your Excellency is translated to a house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens, let Belcher Hall proclaim your 
beneficent acts for the advancement of Christianity and the emolument of the 
arts and sciences to the latest generations." 

He declined this honor, and suggested the name of the illustrious house of 
Nassau, by which Protestantism had been enthroned in English civilization. 
We are fortunate in now having that more euphonious historic name, but we 
are indebted to Governor Belcher for it, and his modesty is to be somewhat 
regretted if it shall have deprived him of a just fame to which he is entitled. 
Should any memorial statue ever be erected in the niche over the doorway of 
Nassau Hall, it could only be inscribed, in the language of the original 
Trustees, to JONATHAN BELCHER, THE FOUNDER, PATRON AND BENE- 
FACTOR OF Princeton University. 



ERRATA. 

Page 185, line 11, for ' 8() read '88. 
" 206, " 10, for /ioc read /lac. 
" 269, " 8, for Universitate read Univei^sitatis. 
" 287, " 23, for vt read ut. 
" 291, for Puxser read Purser. 




OCT IB 1945 












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